


The Purity of Cursed Blood

by Tsukiyo_Spelldust



Category: Tekken
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:18:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4948159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsukiyo_Spelldust/pseuds/Tsukiyo_Spelldust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The wind blew with an eerie sense of melancholy, as Jun Kazama stood at a window in her homely cottage in the forest of Yakushima, before finally deciding to close it for the night. Something in her heart felt that her time on this earth was quickly coming to an end - even with that knowledge beforehand, it didn't stop her from feeling uneasy about leaving her two children...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. THE HEAVENLY GARDEN'S CALLING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [UPDATE] This whole little project has undergone some beta changes thanks to my lovely fiancé CRYSTALMOONLIGHTI. He has helped me a bunch with my punctuation errors and helping with my wording. So big a shout out to him! I know I'll probably explain this in the chapter but RAISON D'ETRE has now been split into two parts! This is purely because I thought it was a bit much to dump all that into one chapter when there clearly was a stopping point. That has been fixed and hopefully that chapter won't be too daunting for new readers with it now two parts. Anyway, I hope everyone new and who have been reading enjoys and continues to enjoy this thing of mine! Thanks so much to those who left reviews and to the readers in general! THANKS! [waves like crazy]
> 
> ***Special XNAlara images inspired by Purity on my DeviantArt! Go check them out if you want! ^_-  
> **  
>  http://tsukiyospelldust.deviantart.com/art/I-m-always-with-you-653942466  
> http://tsukiyospelldust.deviantart.com/art/I-m-always-with-you-part-2-653945912

 

 

 

The wind blew with an eerie sense of melancholy, as Jun Kazama stood at a window in her homely cottage in the forest of Yakushima, before finally deciding to close it for the night. Something in her heart felt that her time on this earth was quickly coming to an end - even with that knowledge beforehand, it didn't stop her from feeling uneasy about leaving her two children.

A daughter and a son - with the former being two years older than the latter. Jun stood before the window a moment longer recalling the time she had spent with the father of her children… Kazuya Mishima.

Encountering him during the first King of Iron Fist Tournament as a spectator seemed to be a complete coincidence - the two ended up meeting each other after a few of Kazuya's matches. The two seemed to bond immediately and ended up being profoundly drawn to each other. Each of them finding the other mysterious, with a gravitational pull leading them into a night of passion, which resulted in the conception of their daughter.

What Jun didn't expect was encountering Kazuya once again at the second King of Iron Fist Tournament during an investigation into the ethics, importation, and experimentation on exotic animals as bio weaponry.

The chance meeting lead her to try to save his soul from an evil which seemed to be taking complete control over him. Alas, just like before, during the first tournament, the two were drawn together, and from that attraction; Jun and Kazuya conceived their son.

Even when she met Kazuya at the first tournament, Jun could already feel the evil within, but he seemed to have a bit more control over it - almost like it hadn't began to manifest entirely. He seemed to be a much kinder man than the one she encountered at the second tournament.

Because of the cold and merciless nature he seemed to have adopted Jun never told him about their daughter. She felt it was best not to tell him; not until she could save him. Alas, in the end, Jun couldn't reach Kazuya and the man she once knew no longer existed. The Japanese beauty could feel in her heart that the time she shared with Kazuya had to be fate, a tragic fate at that, not just for him and her but for their children as well.

Jun had determined it to be as such a long time ago, because she felt it had to be predestined for the two to meet, and ultimately have children. Even now as she stared into the black depths of the forest, she knew her children were destined to have a much greater purpose than she did or Kazuya, would ever think of or possibly imagine.

The loving mother spent the majority of her time teaching her children to defend themselves, as well as to respect all living things - to keep themselves grounded and calm. Her reasoning for passing on such knowledge was indeed because of the nature their father had possessed.

She could sense the very same evil in both her son and daughter while each were still nestled in her womb, or rather one of the two could be potentially susceptible to it, only time could reveal which one... the younger brother or the older sister.

Even with the presence of that evil and the possibility of it corrupting her precious children, Jun vowed to teach them to have a strong sense of justice. She taught them to love all living things; be it humans, animals, plants or insects. She vowed to raise them with unconditional love and support as a mother should and be a pillar of strength for them in hard times to come.

The Japanese woman sighed and took a deep breath; she finally began to turn away from the window, leaving the abyss of black trees and eerie silence behind her. She slowly walked through the cozy cottage as every step she took made the old wooden floorboards creak. The sounds echoed through the small corridor and bounced off the walls, it was as if the reverberation had a life of it's very own.

All of Jun's senses seemed to be very alert, listening for any sound that might signal incoming danger. Her reflexes were ready so the proud lioness could pounce to protect her cubs and get them to safety. Even if her life were to end, right now Jun knew her daughter Kazue would take care of her younger brother Jin.

She told the both of them to seek out Heihachi Mishima, their paternal grandfather, if anything should happen to her. Jin had objected to his mother's advice saying nothing would happen to her, seeming to be upset by the very idea of what she had said, while Kazue sat and nodded her head in silent understanding.

Kazue always seemed to understand Jun and took the things she said very seriously. Jun always wondered if Kazue could sense and feel the same very things she did. The loving mother took note of the many times her daughter would talk about feeling a strong evil presence looming around and how she was afraid of it throughout her life.

Kazue often described it as if the evil were watching her, studying her and seeing if she would be compatible. Knowing this, Jun would always reassure her to keep what she had taught her in mind and close to her heart. That way, the evil will never take hold of her.

Jin on the other hand seemed to be oblivious to it. He went about being the usual rambunctious boy and grew into a normal and mischievous teenager who loved to play tricks on his older sister. He never seemed to worry and didn't like to be too serious unlike his sister. However, on this very silent night everyone in the house felt the ominous vibe as the wind rustled through the tree leaves.

The two siblings turned and looked at their mother as she entered the small rustic front room. The three all stared at each other in silence while the fire crackled and snapped in its place.

"Is everything alright mother?" Jin asked trying to deny the troubling feelings in the very depths of his heart.

Kazue stared at Jin with a look as if to say 'Stop being so naive! Can't you feel it?' but stopped herself from speaking aloud. She knew Jin wouldn't take it very well and would fall apart if anything happened to their mother.

Jin always was the one to be more fragile than Kazue, the older sibling would always stay strong in times of crisis or hardship. A trait she shared with her mother, but Jin would always be the first to cry or to get angry, something Kazue figured came from their mysterious father.

Hearing her son speak to her, Jun pushed her worries aside and smiled gently at her two children. It was a smile of a loving mother, a smile of an angel, a smile that seemed to be made in the shining heavens above - it would light the sky in the darkest of nights.

Such seemed to be the very same smile the sun goddess Amaterasu would beam at dawn, greeting all the people of Japan and showering them in her warmth.

"Do not worry." Jun replied in a soft, comforting tone of voice. She wanted to soothe Jin, she wanted to keep him calm, to keep him from panicking and losing control.

Jin stared at his mother for a moment longer trying to push back the unease he felt deep within. He half smiled and tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat.

"Alright." He answered nervously, while trying to turn his attention back to the book he had been trying to read for the past hour.

Jun could see the fear written on his face as clear as the weather on a warm sunny day. It was like her son was a completely different person, as if the very sky of his soul had darkened and gray clouds began to roll in. A storm was beginning to stir within him and it was very visible to her. It made the woman worry even more for Jin and his future.

Her attention turned to the silent but knowing girl sat by the fireplace nestled in a white crocheted blanket- the one that had little intricate weaving of thin shining red thread running throughout the knit work. A single look of acknowledgment between the two and a simple nod of the head was all either of them needed.

"Kazue, might I have a word with you for a moment." Jun asked of her daughter.

Without any objections or asking what it was her mother wanted to speak about, Kazue began to unwrap herself from the white and red blanket her mother had crocheted for her as a gift for her birthday one year.

"Will you be okay for a moment in here alone Jin?" Kazue asked her brother, knowing and feeling exactly what Jun knew and felt brewing deep inside him.

Jin looked up at his sister and sighed, trying once again to shake off the unease he was feeling. "Yes, I'll be fine." He replied with a nod of his head.

Kazue smiled softly at her brother then ruffled his hair a bit in a loving way before making her way over to their mother. "Be right back!" The older sibling replied before she and her mother stepped out of the front room.

Jun gestured for her daughter to follow her to the small kitchen located quietly near the back of the house. Yet it was near enough to the front room to hear if Jin was in trouble or needed help. The mother decided it was far enough away so that the younger sibling wouldn't hear any of the conversation she was about to have with the older one.

Kazue silently followed her mother into the kitchen and patiently waited for her to begin to speak, not wanting to be rude.

With a sigh, Jun began to formulate the words she wanted to convey to her daughter. She didn't want to panic her by saying she was going to die. No… Jun wanted to reiterate what she had said in a previous conversation.

"Kazue, do you remember when I told you and your brother to seek out Heihachi Mishima if anything were to happen to me?" The loving mother began slowly and gently.

There was a small frown that began to pull at Kazue's brow, but she began to recall the discussion the family of three had some months prior.

"Yes mother, I do remember." Kazue answered quietly and calmly with a note of understanding in her voice.

Jun could feel heavy waves of sadness wash over her like a tidal wave crashing onto the shore. She could feel the tears begin to burn and threaten to spill over as the words she began preparing herself to say became very real to her.

"Kazue… The Heavenly Garden beckons me. I can hear it's call in the wind bouncing off the trees and rattling their leaves. I can hear it as the rain pours and soaks the dry ground below." Jun said trying to keep her voice level not wanting to frighten Kazue anymore with her overwhelming sadness. The words she had spoken were enough to rattle the young girl and shake Jin to his very core if he were in the room.

"Mother..." The young girl began to speak but Jun quickly turned and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders lovingly, a look asking for understanding and forgiveness.

"Kazue… Something is coming for me. I can feel its presence." The mother said, "You must take care of your brother. Jin… He's going to need you if I'm not to be around."

Jun's eyes began shining with a mournful moisture as Kazue stared deep within the dark sable pools. They reminded her of a puddle of rainwater in the forest one day. The reason why she recalled that puddle was simple. the way the water glistened in the sunlight almost made the puddle itself seem to be in a deep sadness that the rain was over. Kazue never wanted to see her mother mournful or in any sort of emotional pain.

"Mother… Please." Kazue whispered. She hated seeing the pain and anguish in her mother's eyes.

Jun could see and feel Kazue's longing for her soul to not hurt or be in any kind of despair. Nevertheless, the mother wanted her to take heed of her words.

"My daughter, listen to me. You must take your brother and go to Heihachi. Take care of Jin and never forget what I have taught you. Be strong… No… you are strong Kazue! Protect him and protect yourself. Take care of each other and we will be reunited again when the time comes in the Heavenly Garden." Jun replied then placed a tender yet loving kiss on her daughter's forehead directly where her third eye should be.

It was a gesture so pure, one of such unconditional love that when the kiss was placed, Kazue could feel her mother's overwhelming warmth for her and her brother wash over her like a rushing yet gentle waterfall, bathing her and Jin in the glowing of their mother's heart, soul and eternal love.

"When you or Jin ever feel alone Kazue… just listen to the wind and rain. My voice will always be there to guide you and your brother and lead you both to the light. Listen and feel my warmth." The mother whispered softly.

When the mother and daughter finally parted, they both stared at each other knowingly. But as Kazue gazed upon her mother's face she saw a bit of panic grace her features and then the overwhelming sadness returned, a tear finally flowed forth trickling down her gentle face like soft rain.

The young girl turned and saw her brother standing in the doorway to the kitchen with his hands clenched into tight shaking fists on either side of his body. She stared at him for a moment watching him as he stood there not saying a word. Then the younger sibling looked up, his eyes darkened with anguish and in that instant Kazue felt Jin's intense pain and despair crashing into her like a tsunami - nearly drowning her in the dark watery depths of a raging ocean.

The look on Jin's face was one twisted with so much hurt and anguish it could have crushed a person's soul, never releasing it from the depths of hell that swirled and flared within his heart and mind.

"You can't…" Jin said in a broken whisper, his lip quivering as he tried to hold back tears and the increasing need to scream.

Jun could feel the very same intense pain Kazue felt coming from Jin. It broke her heart and caused even more tears to flow in a never ending stream. The intensity of her son's pain nearly threatened to swallow her whole.

"Jin… Please. I love you my son… Remember that. I will never truly leave you." She replied softly, trying to stop the anguish from consuming him. She could see and feel the angry aura pulsing around him violently. Jun knew he was vulnerable and that was the last thing she wanted.

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! LEAVE US! YOU CAN'T!" He shouted desperately.

Without any warning, something crashed into the kitchen making debris scatter everywhere and the sheer force of what seemed like an explosion knocked Jin and Kazue to the floor. Kazue's ears began to ring and her vision was blurry but one thing she felt was intense heat. When she managed to gain her sight back, the young Kazama could she a straight line of blazing fire separating her and Jin from their mother.

She could see a faint outline of her and a huge towering figure through the smoke and flames. What baffled the young Kazama was the state of their small cottage, it seemed to be in ruins compared to the way it was minutes prior. The young girl rationalized that she must have been unconscious for a long while for the cottage to be in the state it was in now.

She looked quickly to her left and saw her brother unconscious on the floor, flames threatening to lick at his skin. Immediately taking heed of her mother's words, she rushed to Jin's side to try to get him to regain consciousness.

Kazue rolled him onto his back and began to shake him in an attempt to wake him. After a while of shaking him gently, she decided on a more forceful method.

"Jin! JIN! Wake up PLEASE!" She shouted desperately shaking her brother and scanning the scene for their mother trying to keep an eye on her as well.

The flames where getting closer and more intense with their blazing heat and both Kazue and the unconscious Jin were being burned just by being near. In the crackling of the flames eating away at the old drywood of the cottage ruins, and forest trees, Kazue could hear her mother and a towering figure engaging in what sounded like a fight. Whatever that figure was, it sounded inhuman, and whenever she heard it shout it sent stone cold chills down her spine.

The young girl continued to try to wake her brother as desperation began to overwhelm her senses and threatened to break through her rationality. She had to keep calm for her sake, her mother's and Jin's. She couldn't let fear overrun her mind, heart or soul. No good would come from it if she were to let it control her.

She gazed down at her brother and held him tightly in her arms. The teenage girl whispered a prayer into the black winter night sky and placed a gentle kiss on her brother's third eye sending positive energy, and unconditional love to him, in hopes he would regain consciousness.

The older sibling waited and watched her brother very closely for any signs of awakening. The moments seemed to drag on until finally, Jin began to stir and Kazue felt relief even if it was just for a moment.

"Jin, We have to help mother! Come on, wake up okay?" She said gently while sitting her brother up.

Jin was still very dazed and much like Kazue earlier, his ears ringing and his vision was blurry. The younger sibling wasn't even sure who was pulling him to his feet or speaking to him - but he could feel that it was someone he knew very well.

Once Jin began to regain his vision, the sight before him terrified him. He stood with his eyes wide in horror as the home he and his sister knew all their lives was reduced to burning ruins.

"Kazue… What is going on? Where is mother?" Jin asked shakily.

Kazue stood beside her brother and gently grabbed him by his arm, trying to soothe and keep the frightened younger one calm.

"Jin, we have to find mother. She's fighting something… We have to go help her if possible," she replied.

Jin started through his sister in horror as if she were transparent like glass. His gaze wild as he watched everything around him, everything he knew, going up in a blazing inferno that would soon fall into ashes. The world as he knew, it was coming to an end much too quickly for his psyche to handle and process.

"Jin please! I need you to stay calm," Kazue said trying to reason with her brother who was in shock.

The younger sibling was still staring wide eyed at his current surroundings in disbelief. It wasn't until he felt someone violently shaking him that he turned to look at who it was.

"Jin, I'm going to need you to pull yourself together okay?" The older sibling asked of the younger gently.

The younger Kazama nodded his head trying to calm himself and focus on his sister.

"We need to help mother," Kazue continued, "Think you can stay focused on that right now?"

Jin closed his eyes and muttered an affirmation under his breath before looking back at his sister with eyes of determination. Kazue responded with a nod of her own and gently squeezed her brother's shoulder.

The two siblings stared across the dividing line of flames that separated them from their mother. They could both see the faint outline of her fighting a huge figure through the dense smoke. The older sibling was trying to think of a way to reach her, but before she could say anything, Jin began shouting and charged toward the flames.

"JIN! NO!" Kazue called for her brother but she knew her voice didn't reach him. She stood for a moment in confusion not sure what to do before deciding to steel herself and follow suit.

When she was across the flames, she could see the figure much clearer than before. It was tall almost seven feet and looked humanoid. The creature had well defined muscle and its skin was a slimy oily emerald-green. Its eyes glowed a fierce and violent orange red, the very glimmer of them in the dead of night could terrify anyone who saw them and freeze them in sheer fright like a Gorgon's stony paralyzing glare.

The creature stood adorned with an ancient looking golden headdress with what Kazue thought to be dyed horsehair or feathers spilling out of the top like an ornate ponytail. The creature also wore a golden stone like loincloth with ancient gold accents and a shield on its arm.

For a brief moment, the creature lost its focus and glared directly at Kazue and Jin. Jun who stood a few feet away from the creature after being knocked back, glanced over to see what it was staring at so intently that her worst fears were realized. There were her two children and the creature had turned its attention to them. The mother could see the evil intent in its mind as its eyes began to glow brightly as it began making its way toward them.

"NO! YOU WANT ME! NOT THEM!" Jun roared like a lioness on the hunt in the Savannah and charged at the creature.

The cruel orange red eyes flashed venomously at Jin and Kazue then turned its attention back on Jun. Once the mother was close enough the creature took its arm and violently smashed it's elbow into her stomach, throwing her like a rag doll across the burning cottage debris.

"MOTHER!" Jin screamed in horror as he watched his mother's body being flung across the cottage ruins like nothing, before her body finally smashed through a partially standing wall. She went limp, wooden boards falling down, covering her body.

"You son of a bitch! I'LL KILL YOU!" Jin roared in anger his aura pulsing and cracking with strikes of red lightning. The lightning might not have been visible to anyone who wasn't sensitive to auras, but Kazue saw it and heard it crackling around her brother, its power licking at his sweat drenched skin.

The towering creature stared down the two siblings, the look in its eyes declaring them problematic to its ultimate goal of attaining the one who was more powerful. The brother and sister stood in its way and it wanted them gone! It resumed it's advancement on the two - walking slowly and menacingly… The intent in it's eyes was clear and evident, the glow of death shining like a beacon of doom.

Kazue stood frozen in terror; she knew right then and there that she and her brother were no match for the towering ancient being. Jin hadn't even began registering what kind of danger he and his sister were in, the younger only blinded by rage and the need to protect and save his mother. He began bracing himself for battle completely disregarding the fact he was nowhere near prepared for it.

"Jin." Kazue muttered reaching for her brother's shoulder.

Before the elder sibling could say anything more their mother's voice came from behind the creature. She stood hunched over with her breathing ragged: her once white dress was blackened with dirt and adorned rips and frayed edges. Blood dripped and stained her ankles, arms, neck and face.

"You must run! PLEASE!" she shouted to her children in desperation which caused the creature to turn its attention back on the mother.

The towering ancient began making his way back to Jun sensing the power deep within the caring and loving mother. The proud lioness preparing herself for the inevitable onslaught of attacks the demon would no doubt dish out. Before the older sibling could reach for the younger, he had begun to run at the ancient being intent on attacking it before it could reach her.

"No! I will not let you hurt my mother!" Jin shouted in a blind rage.

Kazue rushed after her brother, trying to stop him from attacking. She knew they would not survive the battle... They were not ready. The ancient creature sensed Jin's approach and quickly decided on its course of action. The being swiftly raised its massive arm and swung it with full force - sending both Jin and Kazue flying like they were mere insects that bothered it.

The two rocketed through the forest, Kazue behind Jin, and the pair finally crashed into an old oak tree. The impact knocking Kazue out almost instantly... However, the last thing Jin saw before slipping into the black abyss with his sister was a fleeting glimmer of the final stand of Kazama Jun.

 

 

 

 


	2. RAISON D'ETRE [Part One]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out each chapter will have a DIR EN GREY/some other artist or band's song as a title. These are mostly used as prompts based on either the name of the song or the lyrical content of the song. The songs will have some sort of tie to the contents of the chapters they are named after, because of the way I interpret said lyrics or just the song titles. Music is often times my muse and it helps me with inspiration, while writing I often listen to said song. Anyway, I hope whoever is reading this enjoys it and I thank you from the bottom of my red squishy beating muscle thing!
> 
> [REMINDER] This chapter has been split into two parts since well before it was all one huge chapter. Not very nice thing to have over 7,000 words thrown at you! It's really a challenge and I wouldn't want to take that challenge.

 

 

 

The Mishima Zaibatsu under Heihachi's ambitious leadership and ruthless determination had managed to strike a lucrative deal with a chain of wealthy casinos that operated all over South Korea. The Elder Mishima's initial idea for striking such a deal with a company in a country he wouldn't otherwise deem worthy enough to have the 'honorable' Zaibatsu's name attached to seemed unusual to Kazue.

The gray haired man often spoke of the Korean people as being incredibly arrogant and self-entitled, which the young woman always found to a be contradiction and an unfair judgment - one that Heihachi Mishima had no right to make since he himself was incredibly arrogant and self-entitled.

Sometimes the Kazama beauty couldn't understand how someone like the old Mishima could be so ruthless and able to keep the power he had. He carried a great deal of clout, and Kazue after working part time at the Zaibatsu since her graduation from Mishima Polytechnic, and living with the man himself, knew exactly how he kept people under his wooden geta so to speak. It didn't take her long after she and Jin came to live with Heihachi that she realized the Zaibatsu wasn't as 'honorable' as the old man made it out to be.

The deal struck with the Uhjoheun Casinos in South Korea was an alliance with the Geondal, who happened to be running under handed money laundering schemes among other things - while using the casinos as a cover and their main base of operation. Aligning himself with South Korea's answer to Japan's Yakuza seemed promising to the Elder Mishima, but to Kazue it all seemed to be very unsafe, not for Heihachi but for her and Jin.

The older Kazama sibling wanted nothing to do with the Yakuza or the Geondal, but being tied to Heihachi made that difficult. The gray haired man requested her presence in his office and demanded she come with the Zaibatsu to South Korea since she spoke fluent Korean - having studied it at Mishima Polytechnic along with English.

Having no choice but to agree to go as an interpreter, Kazue had reluctantly accepted the request for fear of punishment, which Heihachi would no doubt cruelly dish out if she had obstinately disobeyed. The young woman had put on her best 'Noh Mask' which consisted of a tight lipped falsely friendly smile, and bowed politely before leaving the old man's office to begin preparing for the flight there.

The Elder had told her to pack enough attire, both professional and formal along with casual, to last her a good month and maybe a little extra. That alone made Kazue feel dread about the trip, not because she was going to be in South Korea for a month or so.

No, Kazue dreaded it because when the Zaibatsu take month long trips to other countries the stay usually consists of cooperate mumbo jumbo. It's always proceeded by massive amounts of photos of Heihachi shaking hands with various CEO's of other companies. Not to mention with many underhanded politicians with the Zaibatsu staff – as well as select members of the board of directors standing right behind. The pictures were almost always taken for newspapers articles, business websites, and political blogs.

Each time she had to stand in a photo with a seemingly happy smile on her face made her stomach turn in knots. She was disgusted by the 'honorable' and the supposedly 'doing what's best for the world' facade all the CEO's and politicians had. She knew exactly what those CEO's and politicians had in mind….

They all wanted to have their names, companies and campaigns tied to the Zaibatsu to line their pockets with money.

What disgusted Kazue even more was how willing Heihachi was to do just that – while wanting to take subtle control of most of the world himself. The Kazama concluded that 'Power is everything' and the lives of others meant nothing unless they had power, because without power you were nothing and considered expendable.

Kazue, just as her mother before her, knew something was coming for her or rather the old man would find a reason to deem her expendable. She was female after all, and her gender automatically condemned her. Women were considered weak and useless unless used as a glorified breeding machines to supply the heavily traditional men with many worthy male heirs to their thrones.

Once her suitcases had been properly packed with all the things she would need, Kazue sent word to one of The Elder Mishima's goons to come and collect them. The young woman then began making her way to Heihachi's private jet stil,l feeling that heavy sense of dread resting quite persistently on her shoulders.

"Good Morning Kazue. Have you been well?" came a deep yet gentle voice the older sibling knew as her younger brother.

Hearing Jin speak made Kazue's heart skip a beat in her chest and nearly stop. Her eyes scanned the plane with confusion as the siblings' paternal grandfather made his way from the cockpit.

"Grandfather, I'm sorry for being so uncharacteristically frank… But what is Jin doing here?" the older sister asked in concern of her brother's involvement with this trip.

Heihachi made his way over to one of the four leather cushioned seats while unbuttoning his suit vest and slightly lifting up his slacks before sitting. The large man cleared his throat while leaning back into the softness of the leather before finally speaking.

"Jin is coming along with us to promote the upcoming King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 which he is hosting with Zaibatsu funding," The Elder Mishima answered in a very factual tone while motioning for Kazue to take her seat.

The older sibling stood for a moment with a look of shock on her face before finally forcing her body to move into a seat for the flight. Everything around Kazue seemed to be shifting into a cloudy distorted fog and she sat staring blankly – moments later the Pilot came on the intercom telling all passengers to buckle up and prepare for takeoff.

The young woman was so out of touch with what was going on around her that when Jin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder it caused the older sibling to jump. Kazue stared at her brother who was speaking to her - but in her foggy mind couldn't understand what he was saying. The older sibling's ears were ringing and she couldn't help but feel something ominous on the horizon.

"Kazue..." The young woman's mind came crashing back to her current reality with one deep booming voice. She slowly turned her gaze and flinched at the very stern stare her paternal grandfather was giving her.

"Yes Grandfather?" She replied.

"Buckle yourself in. We are taking off." The Elder answered while folding his arms across his enormous chest.

The young woman nodded and began fumbling with the seat belt rather loudly and nervously. That sickening feeling that she felt just years prior on that, fateful night making her feel as if she could drown.

Jin noticing the way his sister looked so distant while fumbling with the buckle, it made him feel just as uncomfortable as she looked. Deep down the way Kazue was acting had the younger sibling worried for his sister and fearful that she might be sensing something he could not.

"Kazue, let me help you." Jin said to Kazue softly while taking the belt from her shaking hands and fastening it for her.

The young woman stared at her brother with wide eyes for a moment while he fastened her belt - then bowed her head slightly in thanks for his help. The young woman leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to relax for the trip ahead.

She knew that she had to keep her emotions in check and wear her 'Noh Mask' as much as possible, because the Elder Mishima's eyes were on her.

Watching… Waiting… Anticipating… Expecting her to mess up in anyway and it mattered not to the cruel man the manner in which she slipped up, as long as he had a reasonable excuse to deem her expendable.

To wash his hands of the weak cub his ungrateful son brought into this world, in hopes the other cub could be made into the image of his heir.

So far, his own blood son wasn't suitable and defied him - and the adopted one was no better to the Elder Mishima. In some sick way, Heihachi wanted to turn the two Kazama siblings against each other to see who really was the 'TRUE' Mishima - to see who deserved his family name.

In his own way, he had already started testing the waters to see if Jin could turn on his sister, and the fact that the younger sibling was so intensely loyal to her only seemed to add more fuel to the fire in his quest - his mission to rid himself and his grandson of her troublesome presence.

She had the same effect on Jin that their mother had on Kazuya, which ultimately lead him to be weakened enough for Heihachi to defeat him and end his life. The Kazama purity tainted the Mishima blood and it sickened the Elder. It disgusted him so much that when he looked at Kazue he could feel and taste the bile rising in the back of his throat. The very idea of her making him want to spit in her face every time she entered his office.

Kazue could still feel the old man's gaze placed heavily on her as the plane began to rise off the ground below and ascend to the skies above. The Kazama knew better than to open her eyes and make contact with the Elder Mishima's glare - it would only serve to agitate and anger him. She knew he was out to get her it was just a matter of time until the old lion decided to pounce on his prey.

 

* * *

After being in the sky for several hours both Jin and Kazue were glad to be back on solid ground. The two siblings followed their paternal grandfather off the private jet and the CEO of the Uhjoheun Casinos immediately greeted the three. The two older men shook hands trading pleasantries with Kazue interpreting and Jin standing quietly yet respectfully behind the Elder Mishima.

This same CEO of the Uhjoheun Casinos lead them to a fashionable limousine right on the runway - then with a snap of his fingers the driver came rushing over to open the door for the Mishima and his two obedient shadows following behind. More pleasantries were exchanged before entering the limo with both CEO's bowing to one another, speaking lowly to one another with Kazue translating, arranging a meeting between the two for a couple of weeks later. Both men had agreed that the guests should get some rest, and have a chance to see and enjoy what the great city of Seoul had to offer.

Bidding farewells with the meeting arranged, Heihachi and his two cubs entered the limo then were carted away to their posh hotel. Kazue sighed as she gently rested her head against the tinted window, thankful for the reprieve from interpreting. Jin too was thankful for the moment of rest; the younger Kazama was tired from the plane ride and just wanted some sleep. He had just closed his eyes when Heihachi's condescending laugh filled the atmosphere with unease and undeniable smugness.

"Enjoy what the 'great' city of Seoul has to offer..." The Elder chuckled mockingly while smoothing over his suit blazer.

Jin could feel the coldness his grandfather gave off with the words he spoke… it made the young man shiver slightly. Kazue tried her best not to pay too much attention to the racist remarks her grandfather and employer made. She knew there would be many more to come in private - as well as under his breath at public functions. The young woman's logic figured it'd be best not to even acknowledge them because it would only waste the energy she needed to stay on guard.

"What does this hell hole have to offer hmm? Tell me that! Koreans are nothing but arrogant slobs… Self-entitled nationalists." Heihachi continued on his slight rant trying to get a rise out of his two little obedient charges. Especially one in particular. He wanted to bait her into his sick and twisted game. Waiting for her to give him a reason- expecting it patiently.

"It's human nature Grandfather… All people can be arrogant and nationalistic. The Americans, the British, the French, the Chinese, the Spanish…. The Japanese, also. No one country is perfect… as well as no one person is perfect." Jin quietly replied with reason as he leaned his head back on the plush leather seat to rest his neck muscles.

Hearing Jin speak up rather than Kazue certainly peaked the Elder's interest and incurred a flare of anger to rise in his normally calm demeanor. What made Heihachi's anger flare at an annoyingly break-neck pace was how matter of fact the younger sibling's tone of voice sounded as he was stating his opinion. The old man quickly decided upon his course of action… Show the insolent fool who really was 'King', show him the only one in the family who could have opinions.

"What did you just say to me boy?" Heihachi challenged his grandson in such an authoritative tone that if Jin were to rise up to it to counter him, he would be struck down with a hand as swift as one of the Shinto God Raijin's lightning bolts.

Kazue slowly shifted her gaze from the window to glance at Jin, who was now steadily sitting up to try to placate their agitated caretaker. In her mind, she was praying to the Goddess Amaterasu to protect her beloved brother from Heihachi's wrath. It was no doubt beginning to boil over despite how calm and in control he seemed.

"I'm sorry Grandfather… I was just speaking from my point of view. I just think that we as humans aren't always as perfect as we like to think we are. I'm sorry for angering you… that wasn't my intention." Jin replied calmly with a pleading inflection in his voice to show his surrender.

The Elder Mishima stared down at his grandson from his nose raised slightly upward with his enormous arms folded stiffly across his chest. He looked exactly like an old lion challenging his cubs for dominance of the pride.

"It's best to keep your nonsense to yourself boy. I have no interest, nor the time to hear such insolence and fool heartiness from one as young and inexperienced as you. You'd do good to keep your ignorant mouth shut. I never recalled asking you for your thoughts or requested you to speak at all. Simply do as you're told from this point on." Heihachi replied coldly with such venomous ice that it could plunge the very world they inhabited into another ice age.

The Elder's eyes still held a dangerous glint in them… The King was still challenging the youngster, and wanted to see him cower in fear before him. Jin silently bowed his head in apology to his grandfather, admitting his defeat while muttering a soft 'I'm sorry' as he gazed out the window at buildings passing by.

As soon as Jin admitted defeat, the Mishima patriarch turned his dangerous yet challenging eyes to his granddaughter. Kazue could feel and see the disgusted, boiling hot hatred in them… She was scared, but tried not to show it – even though her very soul was quivering in fear.

"You'd do good to heed my words as well. I had better not ever hear you rise to challenge me… EVER, if you know what's good for you, girl," Heihachi threatened - then turned to ask the driver in what little Korean he knew when they would be arriving at the hotel.

"Do you understand me Kazue? I meant what I said. If you ever speak to me in a disrespectful tone or do anything, I find not to my liking… You will be dealt with." The Elder replied in a more sinister way this time, almost as if to foreshadow his intention.

Kazue, placing her 'Noh Mask' on, slowly yet as calmly as possible, bowed her head to show him her surrender, like her brother before her. In her mind, she knew it was the only way… Self-preservation… Survival… Nothing more than that. It was to keep the old man off her back as long as she could - just to live another day. It was something she picked up on not long after she and her brother had come to live with their elder relative.

"I understand Grandfather." she replied respectfully with an emotionless tone. At that moment, their limousine finally came to a stop outside a high-rise building.

Kazue's attention shifted a bit to look out the window opposite and catch a quick glimpse. The reflective windows of the building made it look as if it was entirely out of glass and nothing else.

The driver quickly scrambled out of the front to open the door for the Mishima Patriarch and his wards.

Heihachi prepared himself for making his exit out of the vehicle, by smoothing over his attire and making sure he looked presentable. After that, he glared in warning at Kazue briefly as the door opened. He turned his attention to fixing his tie - yet still held onto his threatening aura without so much as looking at either of his grandchildren.

"Good. I'll be expecting great things from you Kazue. You better do your best to not disappoint me - and you too, Jin… You're to be my heir. You'll do good to keep me especially happy with your progress." The Elder said, finishing with the adjustment of his tie before stepping out into the crisp morning air that greeted him outside the limo.

 

 


	3. RAISON D'ETRE [Part Two]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in the first part for convenience I thought spiting Raison D'etre into two parts would be much easier for future readers! Those of you who are new, this was once lumped into one chapter that was over 7,000 words. That's too much and requires a lot of attention to read, if you're like me you'll lose interest. This is part of my renovation of The Purity of Cursed Blood. Anyway I hope this helps and I sincerely hope whoever is reading this enjoys! Thanks!

 

 

 

The young Kazama siblings spent the next two days resting their weary bodies from air trave,l but on the third day Kazue grew restless and couldn't bare being in the hotel suite any longer. The young woman wanted to go out, be free, have fun as well as explore a bit of the country she was in. She wanted to experience South Korea to get a feel for it - and see what the people were like for herself. She didn't want to rely on her grandfather's words and unfair judgments of a country and of a people she knew nothing about.

Even though the older Kazama spoke the language quite well she had never been to Korea and was eager to learn more. In actuality Kazue wanted to learn Korean because the other language options at Mishima Polytechnic never peaked her interest other than English, so she chose both that as well as the former to study.

As she furthered her learning of the Korean language, she found it to be one of intrigue, yet it had a certain complexity to it, a beautiful yet different sort of elegance. It had its own flow of grace but could change quickly and turn into something so forceful and guttural while still holding its beauty.

The young woman rummaged through her suitcase and found a casual outfit to wear; it wasn't too fancy - more on the cute side yet still carried a bit of sophistication.

After dressing and pulling her long hair up into a messy yet fashionable ponytail, Kazue set out to gather a bag to carry her essentials things like her passport, wallet, camera, compact mirror, and of course, lightly tinted chap stick. The Kazama never thought lipstick suited her - and she didn't like the way it felt on her lips.

Once that was done she decided to head to her brother's room and invite him along, but he protested each time she tried to wake him, saying something groggily about needing more rest before Grandfather started up with his training again.

Sighing to herself yet smiling at how unruly her little brother still was even at the age of 19, Kazue tucked him back in tenderly then gathered her things for her adventure into Seoul. Before she left, she made sure to touch base with Heihachi just to let him know she was going out to avoid his wrath later if she hadn't informed him of her departure.

The Elder had already left for the day to deal with other Zaibatsu business, the young woman recalled her grandfather saying he would be gathering with the board of directors. This meeting was to discuss the conglomerates future endeavors in the hotel conference room on the ground floor, near the lobby. So, the young woman set out downstairs to tell one of the Tekken Force suits standing outside of the room to kindly send word to her grandfather that she would be out for the day and would return before dinner.

Notification of where she and her brother were – it was to be was one of the requirements that he had with the cubs. The agreement was to let him know whenever they would leave and when they would be back, but if he weren't notified of their whereabouts, swift punishments would be handed out for failure of compliance.

Kazue knew that telling one of the soldiers, of the Zaibatsu's privatized military and security force, where she was going rather than interrupting the meeting would be her safest option. Heihachi hated meetings to be interrupted with what he called 'pointlessness' and 'unnecessary' matters. Therefore, he always warned that if that were to happen the result would be a swift punishment in private afterward.

Once the oppressive matter that was a requirement of her tyrannical caretaker, Kazue stepped out into the fresh air of the Korean morning's welcoming warm winds. The young woman instantly felt relief from the constricting and near suffocating atmosphere that was the Mishima Elder. The aura he gave off always seemed to follow him wherever he went, it was the very embodiment of who he was – his true nature. It had been a long time since the older Kazama had a day just to herself and she was enjoying the walk - embarking in the direction of a nearby coffee shop down the street from her accommodation.

As she approached the brightly colored shopfront with a cutesy cat character sat outside welcoming customers, the smell of freshly baked pastries and flavored coffees, along with other sweets, filled her senses. She closed her eyes to relish the scents and bathe herself in the welcoming feeling of relief and freedom. It was almost like a heaven she knew she could only experience in that moment, a temporary fleeting yet satisfying moment of truest bliss.

Kazue stood in the middle of the sidewalk smiling like a silly fool just enjoying the calm vibes she was feeling - when her moment abruptly came to an end. Thump - someone crashed right into her shoulder, causing her to drop the camera that was held in her hand.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Kazue shouted out in frustration as she bent down to pick up her fallen item, checking to see if it was okay. The Kazama was never one to get angry… It wasn't in her nature – but she was enjoying the beauty of freedom with the scents of the coffee shop.

"Me? Watch where I'm going? You shouldn't be standing in the way!" Came a rather smug yet sarcastic reply. It was forceful, guttural, oozing with snark and laced with such venom it could have poisoned a passerby.

Kazue's gaze quickly snapped up from checking her camera to see a rather arrogant yet attractive looking red haired man staring at her with fire in his eyes. His facial features twisted in such a smug fashion that it nearly knocked the wind out of her. She stared back at him slack jawed and dumbfounded.

Not because of him or his attractive face but because she didn't want her grandfather's words to come true. Yet here was a rather cocky young Korean man staring her down with such an entitlement - it made her slightly annoyed, if she hadn't been already for his intrusion into her heaven. No, she was livid at the fact the man himself was proving the Elder Mishima right.

"So? What do you have to say for yourself eh?" The redhead asked in a sneering way - waiting for Kazue's reply rather impatiently while tapping one booted foot on the concrete below.

His brashness and arrogance was astonishing to the young woman, yet here she stood before him with her agitation growing – because grandfather was been proved right. The Kazama strongly disliked when Heihachi's words held truth in them. After all, he was such a cruel man in the young woman's eyes - she hated that.

Kazue stared at the Korean youth with her eyes silently pleading with him to stop this charade of a persona she assumed he was portraying – and sadly proving her unwanted doubts of the Korean people right, since she was a visitor to his country.

"Do you think that this arrogance you're showing is a redeeming quality?" The Kazama finally managed to say to the young man before her. She was asking him what he thought - and she wanted a genuine answer to the honest question she posed.

"Tch! What? Who are you to judge me? I don't know who you are and you don't know me… So why does the way I act mean anything to you?" The red haired man replied in a sneering tone, his eyes narrowed at Kazue as he spoke. His body language began to tense like he was preparing himself for a fight.

The young Kazama picked up on this as it was something she and Jin did to prepare themselves for a training session. Tensing or rather bracing for a hit, stretching then relaxing their muscles before a fight and after. At this point Kazue decided to back down a bit to try to ease the tension by asking a more polite question - yet it was one out of genuine curiosity.

It wasn't that she couldn't defend herself against this man if they were to fight… No, Kazue just didn't want to have it turn into one. She chose the more peaceful option because there was no need to fight.

"You must practice martial arts. Tae Kwon Do? Hapkido? What's your art?" Kazue asked calmly yet coolly. Hoping that the intense young man before her would relax and ease into a general conversation.

This made him place his hands on his narrow hips and shake his head - sending fiery tendrils flowing from side to side as he clicked his tongue against his teeth. After his initial annoyance, the young man turned his intense gaze back to the woman before him, the corners of his mouth tugging into a confident smirk.

"First you insult me… Not knowing a damn thing about me… or my name for that matter. Now you've got the nerve to ask me a personal question. You're something else lady, you know that? A true piece of work." The Korean man scoffed then placed his fingers to his lips, kissing them then moving his hand away like he was some French or Italian chef on TV. This gesture was so sarcastic that it could have offended the chefs - or anyone in general.

The young Japanese beauty let out a soft yet seemingly friendly giggle. It was warm enough to mask the fact that his sarcasm and arrogance really were getting to her, but only because of Heihachi's racism. The redhead's words did amuse her slightly, and she quickly stopped herself from breaking into full-blown laughter at how ridiculous they sounded. Yet after catching a glance of the young man's facial expression, she found herself sent over the edge and she finally cracked. Her body doubling over with a hearty ringing bell-like laugh.

Kazue couldn't help but let it out. She found the look on his face to be utterly hilarious because it was so dynamic in nature.

The Kazama had never seen anyone in her life with such an expressive face - therefore she found it to be funny after spending so much time with Jin who only ever wore a stoic expression, one that was borderline emotionless - and Heihachi, who only ever looked angry, disgruntled, and slightly constipated.

Sometimes she would laugh with Jin behind their grandfather's back, joking about him needing laxatives or that he should eat more vegetables. It was a rare silly side of the older sibling that never really got a chance to come out nowadays.

The Korean wore a look of confusion as Kazue watched how every movement of the muscles in his face changed with the expression that formed. His brows would shift from being raised right to left then meeting in a furrowing crease together in the center. Then his mouth would twitch in a manner that was trying to smile yet still not fully understanding what was going on. His lips were seemingly pursed in a tight line, and then his eyes would switch between wide shock and narrowed puzzlement.

In that moment while she was laughing, she watched him through dark raven strands of silk and found herself transfixed, amazed, as well as fascinated with his features.

Her mind was made up right then - the man before her was indeed attractive, yet somewhat charming as well - although he was a bit brash and abrasive. He also seemed so overly confident that one would call it 'cocky' or even 'arrogant', but somehow Kazue figured if she knew him personally - that all those otherwise negative traits would only add to his charm.

"I'm sorry… Really… I'm sorry. Forgive me!" Kazue apologized between little giggles. -

The fiery youth stared at her with a look that was even more puzzled than the last. He thought he had ran into a crazy woman and for some unknown reason he stayed to see what else she had to say - for his own amusement if anything else. It wasn't every day that a man came across a woman laughing for seemingly no reason on the streets of Korea or anywhere else for that matter, not unless said woman was indeed a little wacky.

"Do you think what I said was funny?" The redhead asked, trying his best not to laugh at the possible dangerous situation he could be in. Looney people were everywhere these days and you had to be careful. The young Korean did find the situation weird yet slightly unusual but he tried to be as serious as possible while posing his question. In reality, he was finding all this to be interesting as well as entertaining - and he figured it would be a good story to retell later to his team back at the den.

"No! Not at all!" The Japanese beauty replied, ceasing her laughter as she returned back to her usually reserved nature. Kazue was used to regaining her composure in a quick fashion mainly because the Elder Mishima preferred having everything in the house regimented and ruled with an 'iron fist'. It was almost as if he hated the sound of laughter coming from her or Jin, and he constantly ordered them to stop with his intimidating aura alone. Thus, regaining one's seriousness and discipline was necessary at the Mishima Estate.

The Korean youth before her was wondering exactly what just happened. Alarm bells were sounding in his mind when she went from laughing her head off back to calm again.

He found her laughter to be infectious, yet it confused him even more so, knocking him off his game and throwing all his alertness out of whack. He was also halfway expecting a jealous boyfriend to be right around the corner to deck him good and hard. Putting his disbelief to the side it was time for him to get his thought back on track.

"My turn to ask questions… Who are you? Where are you from?" His questions were straight yet to the point - and carried a heavy amount of suspicion in them. Mostly because he could tell, by the way she was speaking Korean that she wasn't from Seoul or anywhere in Korea.

Kazue turned her calm yet serene gaze to the young man and smiled gently. She didn't want to rattle him anymore than what he already was. She clearly heard the suspicion in his voice. It was a tone and inflection she could very easily notice thanks to her 'dear' grandfather.

"My name is Kazue. I'm from Japan. I work at a corporate conglomerate there." The beauty answered the redhead honestly yet calmly - without giving away too many details. If someone were to hear that the conglomerate she worked for was the Zaibatsu, people would run away, and it would ruin her only chance at meeting people and making friends.

The Korean youth's brows furrowed as he tested her to see if she was being honest. If she was, something would give her away, a slight nervous laugh, a twitch of the brow, a cough... Something! For all he knew she could be an undercover police officer trying to catch him and his fraud team up to no good.

"And you? What is your name?" The Kazama asked after a long pause. She could see him thinking, the wheels turning in his mind; she could see him trying to figure out something.

The Korean man met her gaze with amber eyes full of curious fire and caution. He knew all too well to be very weary of people… Some were not to be trusted and some were crazy even.

"I'm Hwoarang." He finally said after a long pause of contemplation deeming it safe to reveal his name to her. A slight amused smirk graced his features as he thought about introducing himself by his street alias. He nearly laughed thinking about it - knowing well enough that no one in their right mind would believe that his alias was his actual name!

Kazue smiled kindly then bowed respectfully to him in a show of good will and politeness - which earned her a confused brow knit from the fiery youth who stiffly returned her gesture.

"Nice to meet you Hwoarang!" Kazue replied cheerfully with a smile and gentle wave of her hand.

Hwoarang seemed to be disinterested in the Japanese beauty's cheerful display. In fact, he hated overly cutesy and cheerful woman. He was expecting the full routine with annoying high-pitched voice added, but when he heard her speak cheerfully, there was no such thing - just a respectful yet very womanly tone that added to his intrigue and peaked interest further.

No matter how interested he was… Hwoarang decided to play it cool and act unimpressed.

"Yeah yeah… Okay… Whatever." He replied. while waving his hand back and forth dismissively - thinking that after this she would turn to goo over him like all the other girls did. It was always the case - he'd play cool and uninterested and the girls loved – always following up with how cool he was. It only served to agitate him.

Kazue smiled softly sensing that their encounter was ending. A feeling of slight disappointment at the fact that she'd most likely never see him ever again – he sure was an interesting stranger. Truth was that Kazue longed to have friends outside of the Zaibatsu, outside Mishima Polytechnic and those only meeting Heihachi's approval after his quality control standards were met. It was like having 'hired friends' instead of having actual friends that you met naturally and interacted with every day.

The Kazama decided it would be best to save herself the longing she was feeling and end their conversation. She knew that Heihachi would never approve of her having even one single Korean friend no matter what gender they were or how affluent they were. Brutal truth was... The Mishima Patriarch was a hardline racist. From what the house keeping staff said around the estate, it got a lot worse after he adopted a son supposedly from Korea or China and said son largely fell out of favor with the Elder over matters that no one would elaborate on.

"Anyway, I should get going. Sorry for being in your way. See ya around sometime." Kazue said quietly with a slight yet polite bow before stepping to the side and entering the coffee shop.

Hwoarang looked at Kazue, paying close attention to her body language. To him she seemed happy enough before, yet there was a slight change… She seemed to be withdrawing, but from what was anyone's guess. The redhead never was one to play the so-called 'knight in shining armor', but he wasn't denying he was curious about her, especially after she didn't fawn over him and his cool act.

"I assume it's your first time in Seoul no? I could show you around, maybe? If you like I mean, if not… that's cool too." Hwoarang asked while coolly - stuffing his hands into the pockets of his denim jeans. He then began shifting his weight from one leg to the other before finally deciding to keep most of his weight on his left side, leaning back slightly to make sure he seemed as aloof as possible.

Kazue watched as the red haired Korean played himself out as if he was the coolest person she'd ever meet in her life - a slightly amused smile graced her features.

Hwoarang glanced at her through fire-like hair trying, to gauge what her response would be, but quickly saw the expression she held – her lips curved happily.

"Alright. You can show me around! I'm staying at the hotel up the street. However, it'd be wise for us to meet here instead. Is that okay?" Kazue finally replied - with a gentle laugh, trying not to give away her nervousness. It wasn't because of the red haired youth, no…. It was more out of anxiety. If Heihachi found out she was planning to meet with someone he hadn't approved of ahead of time there would be major issue.

The fiery Korean quickly snapped his gaze straight to the Japanese woman - raising a brow in question, his suspicious nature slightly going on alert.

"Sure thing!" Despite his usual quick judgements, he agreed to meet her at the coffee shop for the next day around noon.

The two bowed to one another then exchanged 'goodbyes' and 'see ya tomorrows' before going their separate ways.

After that Kazue finally got her coffee and sweets - then spent the rest of the day pursuing book stores and fashionable boutiques, before finally relaxing at a park.

"It's been a great day…." With that in mind, she decided to head back to the hotel. It was almost time to eat dinner with her brother and grandfather.

For the first time in a while, she felt like she had made a true friend in a very organic fashion - and the long forgotten feeling of hope was slowly glimmering back to life. The young woman had no idea of the events to come - and exactly how life changing they would be for her, and the brother she held so dear. The siblings' lives would once again be torn apart - and shattered into fragments…

Yet that future remained shrowded in shadow. At least for the moment the feeling of hope wasn't so fleeting.

"I wonder what tomorrow will bring…."


	4. PERFECT SENSE DREAMER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember stating that most chapters would have a DIR EN GREY song title for the chapter and that some wouldn't. Well this chapter contains a title that's from a song called 完全感覚 Dreamer (Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer) by ONE OK ROCK. I dug through my Japanese to English dictionary to find that Kanzen means perfect. I did this by looking up the word perfect in the English section then identifying the kanji used in the song title. I did the same for Kankaku as well. So what I'm saying is... it roughly (I stress roughly) means Perfect Sense Dreamer. I am in no way fluent in Japanese (although I wish I was) I just have Japanese to English dictionaries for fun. Also another note about the ingredients in the Dak-Galbi, gochujang is Korean Red Pepper Paste and gochugaru is Korean Red Pepper Flakes. Ddeok are rice cakes/noodle like thingies and mirin is rice wine vinegar. Anyone hungry all of the sudden? Alrighty then anyway here's the chapter - enjoy! Thanks! ^_^
> 
> [Update] BETA'd by CRYSTALMOONLIGHTI! Yay! lol ^_^ v

 

 

 

Just like the day before Kazue, set out doing the proper protocol for her tyrannical paternal grandfather - then made her way to meet up with her unofficial tour guide. To say she was excited wouldn't be far from the truth - but the sensation was more of an anxious sort of excitement. The Kazama never really got the chance to go out with friends and she wanted to enjoy herself.

She kept a steady pace as she walked to the agreed meeting place the two of them had organized the day before: the cutesy coffee shop not too far from the swanky hotel the Zaibatsu were staying in. As she neared her destination, a familiar shade of red hair came into view. She knew it had to be him simply for the fact that not many people around the area had that particular crimson hue.

Kazue stood for a moment to watch the Korean youth closely. He sat so casually with his booted feet placed on the table, crossed - while lazily sipping on what seemed to be a coffee. His gaze would shift to scan his surroundings shortly, and then he would go back to coolly sipping his hot drink. It fascinated her to watch him… so calm and collected, yet always vigilant of his surroundings and the people around him.

The young woman took a deep breath and made her way over. Each step she took made her stomach flip. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her, and to make matters worse, Hwoarang's gaze bore into her as she approached. He must have heard her footfalls as she came closer. He stared at her rather seriously with his drink pressed loosely to his bottom lip.

"Good morning." Kazue greeted with a polite bow before sitting opposite of the Korean youth.

The fiery red-haired man slowly swung his boots from the table to sit up properly, before finally mumbling a good morning back to the woman sat across from him.

Kazue sat quietly - as still as a stone statue guarding a temple. The Kazama wasn't sure what to say or even how to stir up conversation, her mind was blank. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt then anxiously placed her hands on the table fidgeting and yanking the hem of her sleeves.

The red-haired Korean raised a brow as he gazed at the young woman who nervously pulled at her shirt. He found it amusing how skittish she was compared to their encounter the day before. The Korean also figured she wasn't much of a conversationalist as well.

"I don't know about you but I still find noon to be too early. Say you wanna grab something to eat?" Hwoarang proposed, leaning on the table with his right arm resting flat on its surface.

Kazue peered up at him with an apprehensive glare written in her eyes - she smiled sheepishly before nodding her head agreeing with the redhead sat across from her.

"Where would be a good place to eat at? You know… besides here?" Kazue asked quietly, still pulling the sleeve of her shirt over her thumb.

Hwoarang sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his lean chest with lips pursed in thought. In his mind, he quickly ran through all his favorite places to grab a fast bite. Just as swiftly as they came to mind, a few were axed off the list. The Korean had to hope the woman wasn't too opposed to spicy foods and was willing to try new dishes.

"Well there are lots of places. Tons in fact! It is noon… so it all depends on what you're in the mood to eat. Then again - this is your first time to Korea, no?" The fiery youth replied rubbing the palms of his hands against the dark blue denim of his jeans.

Kazue smiled softly - nodding her head and making a quiet noise to confirm what he'd said. The young woman tried to speak rather than hum her confirmation but it seemed like her voice wanted to rebel against her wishes.

"Okay then… So how about Dak-Galbi? I know a place that makes really nice Dak-Galbi." Hwoarang smirked with a raised brow as he clapped his hands together.

Seeing the enthusiasm for the dish caused a hearty laugh to come from Kazue. The young woman was starting to feel relaxed enough to stop pulling so incessantly at the sleeves of her shirt. Instead, she placed her hands in her lap.

"Dak-Galbi. Alright… but what exactly is it?" The Kazama laughed softly while genuinely posing her inquiry.

Hwoarang let out a chuckle himself after Kazue asked him what Dak-Galbi was. He was glad that the young woman was becoming more social.

"Dak-Galbi is the best thing in the world! C'mom! Let's go grab some before it's all gone!" The Korean grinned as he came to stand on his feet – signaling Kazue to do the same with a wave of his hand.

The Kazama shook her head in amusement - a grin of her own gracing her features as she stood up to follow. The two began making their way down the street with Kazue staying close to Hwoarang: she didn't want to get lost.

The young woman was quick to take in the sights of the busy city streets, which seemed just as busy and hasty as the ones back home. There were many people crossing sidewalks, taxis zooming by, businesses and shops with their doors open. The sound of life was everywhere.

"So you're from Japan no? Where exactly? Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto?" Hwoarang asked - stuffing his hands into his denim pockets.

Kazue jumped slightly upon hearing Hwoarang's voice but quickly began thinking of a way to answer his question. The young woman gently wrapped her arms around herself in a hug of sorts while keeping up her pace to match his.

"Well… I was born in Yakushima. It's an island in the Kagoshima Prefecture. To be more specific… it's one of the Osumi Islands in southern Kyushu." Kazue answered happily, as she continued to follow her tour guide.

Hwoarang couldn't help but raise a brow at her response. It was quite a surprising one to him since most of the Japanese people he met were from metropolitan areas - people who were used to the hustle and bustle of high-paced city life.

"So you grew up there. You've clearly moved since then huh?" He continued to probe in a curious fashion as the two came to a cross-walk.

Kazue followed the redhead as they made their way to the street, making sure to check before crossing. The young woman laughed softly to herself as the two continued making small talk.

"Unfortunately yes. My little brother and I had to come and live in Tokyo with our paternal grandfather." The Kazama replied to the Korean.

Hwoarang's brow raised again with curious intent as he was finding Kazue's answers to be interesting. He couldn't help but wonder what the unfortunate circumstance was that caused her and the little brother to seek refuge with their grandfather.

"I see. We're almost there so keep up!" The fiery red-haired youth chuckled.

Miss Kazama made sure to quicken her pace to keep up with the Korean. He seemed to be very lithe and agile: almost like a gazelle. It also didn't help that she was much shorter than the Korean but she did her best to be just as fast as the red head.

"So what about you Hwoarang?" The young woman inquired with a friendly smile gracing her visage.

The Korean glanced down at the Japanese woman beside him catching a gentle smile on her face. He did ask quite a question so it was only right to answer hers even though he wasn't sure where to begin.

"Well I'm from here… grew up right smack in the city center. Didn't have to move anywhere. My parents… I don't know them, so my Tae Kwon Do master pretty much was a father to me. Took me in and cared for me." Hwoarang responded while scratching his head in a nonchalant manner before quickly turning down a side street.

Kazue still followed closely behind – she felt a little down for asking the question. The young woman stayed quiet for a long while before bumping into the Korean as he came to a stop.

"The best Dak-Galbi in all of Seoul is just beyond this door! You ready?" He smirked with pride and confidence holding the door ajar for the Kazama to enter the little establishment.

Kazue smiled brightly at the rouge Korean as the scent of good food came wafting out the open door. It was overpowering but in a good way, the aroma was spicy yet savory. The more the young woman stood still the more her mouth began to water.

"Smells great. This better be amazing, Hwoarang!" The Kazama said as she peeked around the corner of the open door. The essence of the delicious food causing her stomach to rumble loudly.

Hwoarang laughed once more after hearing the young woman's stomach growl like a ferocious beast. He urged Kazue inside and the two found a table to sit at reasonably fast. Once settled, Kazue became more curious about the ingredients contained in the dish the redhead was so fond of.

"So what's in this Dak-Galbi anyway?" She pondered aloud, trying to take her mind off the onslaught of delicious aromas in the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Hwoarang sat with one leg held to his chest with his arm haphazardly perched on his knee. He seemed to be enjoying the savory smells of the eatery himself.

"Well, it's a stir fried chicken dish. Basically like a one pot meal, you have sweet potato, yellow curry sauce, gochujang, mirin, gochugaru, green onions, ddeok, and enoki mushrooms." Hwoarang explained with vigor, waiting patiently for the waiter to take their order.

With the order taken and beverages served, the duo sat eagerly awaiting the arrival of the famed Dak-Galbi. Stomachs rumbled and mouths watered as they sat.

"From the way you described it earlier Hwoarang, this dish sounds delicious!" Kazue sighed while taking a sip of her water trying to appease the growling monster that was her belly.

Hwoarang sat with his head back against the wall beside him, hoping to keep himself distracted enough to resist eating his entire arm off. He swore to himself that he had never been so hungry before in his life – and turned to Kazue so he could keep up the conversation.

"So what's it like in Japan. I've never been but have met loads of people from there," he began - sitting himself up properly, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his ankles.

Kazue smiled at Hwoarang while nodding her head respectfully. It was nice to have a day out like this: it was something the young Kazama never really got to do much back home in Japan.

"Well… how would you say… it's not exactly how people imagine it. I mean of course, there are polite and respectful people but there's also rude people. But then again, what do I know really… I live a very sheltered life. Not by choice." The young beauty mumbled the last part more to herself than to the person she was speaking to.

She hated thinking about her grandfather when she was in a seemingly happy mood. The thought of the old man would always make her feel despondent, withdrawn, and agitated. Even when she wasn't in the Elder Mishima's presence his mere existence loomed over her like a dark rain storm - ready to strike her with lightning at any given time.

Hwoarang, being highly intuitive when it came to reading people's faces, emotions, and actions, knew the young lady's mood had dropped slightly. He noticed how she began to mumble before she stopped speaking entirely. The Korean had a feeling there was much more to her story than just moving from Yakushima to Tokyo so she could live with her grandfather. Either way, the redhead decided now wasn't the time to get into details about family dynamics - or in his case, lack of.

"I guess one day in the distant future in some far off dream I'll get to go to Japan and see it for myself." Hwoarang chuckled lowly as he wore his trademark smirk.

Before either could drum up more small talk, their food arrived piping hot in one big pot. The spicy yet savory smell rising from the steam of the dish was mesmerizing and intoxicating – bringing pangs of hunger back again. Kazue stared down at the mountain of food with wide and excited eyes. The young woman promised herself that she would not eat more than she needed - but the aroma of the Dak-Galbi was challenging her very aggressively.

"I don't know about you but… I'm going to start eating, so you might want to help yourself before it's gone! Can't make promises there will be any left." The Korean announced as he grabbed one of the ceramic bowls and began dishing some of the Dak-Galbi out for himself.

The Kazama wasted no time serving herself a portion of the Dak-Galbi and tucking in. It might have seemed impolite of her to begin eating so fast and the young woman quickly sat down her metal chopsticks while muttering an apology for being so hasty. That gesture alone sent Hwoarang into a tailspin of confusion as his brows furrowed in the center - making little lines appear. He stared perplexed at Kazue for a few moments before taking some ddeok into his chopsticks and eating it.

"Why apologize Kazue? Is your grandfather big on table manners or something?" The redhead asked in a joking manner to the beauty sat across him.

The Korean's witty retort made the Kazama blush a furious crimson red as she reclaimed the chopsticks she'd dropped a moment earlier. The comment the upstart made didn't offend her in anyway. It only served to prove a point that no matter where she was, what she did or who she was with, Mishima Heihachi's presence would be felt.

After a few moments of eating in silence, Kazue finally worked up the bravery to speak once again. She smiled anxiously at Hwoarang for a moment before finally verbalizing the words she wanted to articulate.

"He actually is. Very big on table manners and other things. Traditional would probably be a more accurate way of describing him. Traditional and overbearing." She replied calmly, trying to conceal the shaking in her voice due to her anxiety. The nervousness she felt was partially due to Hwoarang's unsuspecting wit and her very response. In her mind, she was half expecting the Elder Mishima to storm right into the little restaurant and drag her out kicking and screaming for speaking ill of him.

Hwoarang grinned mischievously while taking a quick sip of water to clear his palette. He shook his head laughing quietly to himself. The Korean wasn't surprised when she said she lived a sheltered life, but hearing the young woman describe her grandfather was funny. To the red-haired rogue it seemed as if she was afraid of speaking against him.

"So your granddad has a stick up his ass right? You said you worked for a conglomerate, no? I'm going to assume the conglomerate you work for is dear old granddad's? I've seen my fair share of old grumpy Japanese businessmen… they're all very uptight and traditional." The Korean remarked with a bit of witty sarcasm. It was his way of trying to relax the young woman before him; it was his way of trying to make her laugh.

Kazue giggled softly because of Hwoarang's bluntness about the whole thing. She had to admire the audacity the Korean had when it came to speaking his mind. He had courage and was fearless, yet never seemed to care about the possibility of getting into trouble. He seemed like the kind a guy that lived in the moment and to the fullest - doing whatever he pleased. Deep down, that was something the young Kazama wanted to do to, live her life freely and happily.

"Yeah well let's just say my grandfather runs his house with an iron fist." The young woman proclaimed boldly while finishing the last of her Dak-Galbi.

This caused Hwoarang to let out a loud burst of laughter. They'd only spent a few hours together and he felt like he was becoming a bad influence on her. The Korean couldn't deny the fact that her comeback was rather good. Of course, the redhead had no clue what her grandfather was like but if he really did run his house with an iron fist, The Blood Talon felt really bad for both her, and her little brother.

"I imagine you have a curfew then? If he's so old fashioned he probably wants you home before dinner?" Hwoarang replied, still keeping a humorous tone laced in his voice as he sat his chopsticks on their stand carefully.

Kazue jumped slightly in surprise and quickly raised her wrist to check her watch. A look of displeasure swiftly marred her visage after realizing it was getting close to her curfew for the day - before glancing at the man sat across her. The young woman's cheeks began to flush red again as she stared sheepishly at the Korean. Even though she just had a meal, she knew the Mishima Elder would want her home regardless of the fact.

"Actually… yeah. It's embarrassing I know… I just… gotta go, so." The young woman muttered quietly, seemingly ashamed of the fact that her tyrannical care taker was so demanding. However, she knew if she showed up late to dinner nothing good would come from it… nothing good at all.

Hwoarang seemed amazed when Kazue confirmed his little joke to be truth, yet at the same time he understood why. Baek would always make sure the youth came back to the dojang for dinner, and it was the one thing in his life that was structured and almost normal. The Korean stood up and dug around in his pockets for the notes crunched and crumpled in the tight denim and tossed them on the table.

Kazue stared wide-eyed as he tossed the money on the table. At first, she thought she had offended the Korean, but quickly pushed that thought aside while fishing through her bag to pay for the food herself.

"Here… let me at least pay half. I don't want to seem ungrateful." She said softly, still digging through her bag.

Hwoarang snickered to himself quietly while grabbing the young woman by the arm and pulling her to her feet, trademark smirk firmly in place.

"No no no, I got this one! It's on me. No worries, though next time we meet up you'll have to pay for the Dak-Galbi. Then consider it even! Now let's get you back to the coffee shop so gramps won't have a heart attack, okay?" The red-haired youth laughed motioning for Kazue to take the lead.

The Kazama smiled back at the red-haired man and shook her head. Grabbing the strap of her bag and pulling it over her head so it rested across her torso, Kazue then bowed to Hwoarang in a show of gratitude.

"Consider it a done deal then. I'll pay for Dak-Galbi next time!" She announced as the two made their way out of the restaurant and back to their original meeting spot.

It had been a long day but the few short hours she had seemed to pass the young woman by. She hated that her day was over and on the walk back to the coffee shop; Kazue prepared herself for the re-assimilation back into the oppressive atmosphere that was her grandfather.

Hwoarang didn't say much on the walk back - noticing the young woman's mood beginning to tank slightly. He did manage to say a few silly little things here and there to try and coax a laugh or smile from her, but the Korean knew that she was preparing to go back into iron-fisted tradition.

"I'll see you around… I'm sure of it. Well depending on how long you're staying that is. We'll hang out again. If you want, here's where you can reach me if you need a break from gramps." The Korean handed Kazue a ripped piece of paper with a number written on it very hastily - with the redhead's name above it.

Kazue blushed slightly as she accepted the paper and folded it neatly, placing it in the pocket of her jeans. She smiled nervously giving a slight bow of her head mostly out of habit.

"Thank you. I'll see you around then!" She replied before beginning her trek back to the posh hotel a few blocks ahead.

Hwoarang smirked and gave a wave of his hand as he walked backwards away from the young woman.

"Don't let gramps see that paper! He might not want you to spend time with a boy you know! Would cause heart failure… not traditional!" He called back laughing boisterously.

The Korean's snark made the young woman stop and double over with laughter. Once Kazue regained her composure and shouted back to the redhead before making her way back to the hotel.

"I'll be sure to remember that!"

 

 


	5. DISCHARGE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter's title comes courtesy of The Gazette or however they are stylizing their name these days! When I saw the song title I thought almost instantly of electricity and what do Jin and Heihachi have? Lightning and thunder! Okay that was lame and I apologize. Anyway this chapter is Jin-centric! It's kind of difficult telling a story from two sides but here I go! I'm gonna try! I would also like to point out if I haven't already that some of my inspiration for writing Heihachi the way his is in this comes from a fic by XMMishimaX. The Sword Maker Trilogy actually, it's an oldie but a goodie. Now that I think of it the inspiration for this chapter actually comes from one of her chapters in one of the stories in the trilogy. Can't recall which one off the top of my head but it might be The Quality of The Sword. Don't take my word for it though. In the chapter I'm thinking of in the trilogy, Jin is meditating before training and there's a candle lit and he does his form or also known as kata. I'm also going to apologize for not mentioning my muse in earlier chapters… I feel bad for forgetting about that. XMMishimaX's style of writing greatly influenced me and I want to give credit where credit is due. Thank you XMMishimaX! Now then enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading!
> 
> [Update] BETA'd by CRYSTALMOONLIGHTI

 

 

Before the youngest of the two Kazama siblings could open his eyes on his own he felt the blankets being yanked from him: it was done with such a great amount of force. Jin knew exactly who unsheathed him from the cocoon - and why they were doing it. The youth sat up calmly as the curtains of his room were flung open with the same force that ripped the warmth away from his body.

"Wake up… cub. Your training is to resume today. I want you ready and dressed in three minutes to meet me outside the hotel. There will be a limo waiting," The Mishima Elder declared in a stern fashion while slowly making his way to the door.

Jin rubbed his eyes and threaded his fingers through his unruly mane while trying to gain his wits for the day ahead.

"Where are we going grandfather? Doesn't the hotel have a gym we can use?" The younger brother asked groggily while trying to suppress a yawn. The last thing the youth wanted was to enrage his caretaker before training: he knew it would result in many painful bruises and aches.

The Mishima Patriarch slowly turned to face the Kazama, who was now moving to get his things ready. The Elder stared at the young man in a rather disinterested fashion before finally giving the youth an answer,

"We're going to a proper dojo, now hurry you have two minutes," Heihachi announced before leaving the room and heading to the lobby to sit in the limo awaiting his arrival.

The youngest Kazama rushed to grab all of the equipment he would need for practice. He knew he needed his black gi pants, the ones with the red flames on one leg, his shin and foot guards; also his gauntlets. Once those things were gathered and carefully packed into a gym bag, the youth quickly went to the bathroom to fashion his hair in the usual style he liked to wear.

Jin swiftly washed his face and teeth then dressed himself in simple jeans and a hooded jacket. Finally finished - the youth made his way to the door grabbing his sneakers while hastily putting the footwear on in the elevator.

Checking the clock in the lobby, Jin began to jog lightly to the glass revolving door, making it to the Zaibatsu limo outside just in time. The Kazama could feel his grandfather's eyes digging into his skin like sharpened daggers. Alas, he situated himself in the seat across from the elder.

The old man's stare was as hard as stone - full of displeasure and hostility as he eyed the young man sat opposite of him. The youth's appearance was not much to be desired, or one that he would consider to go hand in hand with a ward of the Mishima Zaibatsu, let alone the grandson of the CEO.

Heihachi's lips pursed in dissatisfaction as his eyes focused heavily on Jin and the offspring's choice of clothing. The youth wore jeans, sneakers, and a hooded zippered jacket: the offending article worn without a garment underneath. The Elder's eyes narrowed as he watched the cub settle himself for the ride to the dojo.

"You do realize I am not pleased with your attire," Heihachi murmured lowly to his grandson while tapping the window behind him, signaling to the driver they were ready to leave.

Jin glanced at his grandfather swiftly before averting his gaze to the limousine's carpeted black flooring as it began to pull away from the hotel. The youth wasn't sure how to appease the elder: instead he opted to bow his head in apology.

"I figured since we were training I could dress in a relaxed fashion... I didn't want to ruin a nice dress shirt with sweat, so I thought these clothes would be acceptable," The younger Kazama replied softly to his grandfather: he desperately hoped the older man would be understanding.

Heihachi's brow rose at the cub's response and a low yet deep scoff came from the back of his throat. The Elder quickly brought his arms to cross his enormous chest, his trademark posture; still glaring daggers at his grandson.

"You are representing the Mishima Family and our company. I expect you to look your best at all times... as well as being fully clothed." The Mishima Patriarch grumbled under his breath.

Jin glanced down at his attire. He found himself bare chested with his hooded jacket open - his toned physique on full display. The Kazama swiftly muttered an apology while zipping the open garment to cover the exposed flesh as he cursed to himself inwardly.

 

* * *

The Zaibatsu limousine had finally arrived at it's predetermined destination. The Mishima Patriarch and his grandson exited the vehicle: once inside Jin made sure to quickly change into his training attire and begin his warm up while his grandfather changed into his own.

The young Kazama sat in the middle of the dojo's wooden floor with a candle flame flickering before him. Closing his eyes after a long moment of staring directly at the candle's frolicking light seemed to have the youth in a trance, in the state of mind to train, to lose himself in the art he practiced.

Breathing deeply and rising to his feet, the Kazama youth exhaled slowly as his eyes opened. There wasn't a shred of emotion in them; they were focused purely on the task at hand, warming and stretching his body. The young man began slowly moving his body with his arms making gradual movements, his feet doing the same. Forming and flowing into stance and executing combinations of punches and kicks.

Jin proceeded with his dance in earnest with great ease as sparks of lightening snapped and crackled along his fists, biceps, and lower extremities. Controlled shallow breaths and low grunts could be heard echoing as he reached the prime of his fluctuating yet steady-going movements.

After reaching the final combination of unwavering fluid motions Jin Kazama stood stone still - letting the energy his aura kicked up flow through his body and dissipate. Once the youth felt grounded firmly back into reality, he bowed and relinquished the light from the candle.

"Well done Jin. You're improving and showing great promise," Came the Elder Mishima's voice from behind, his feet making heavy sounding footfalls on the creaking wooden flooring, the frayed edges of his faded black gi snapping along with each step he took.

Jin turned to face his grandfather - bowing low and steady in respect of the older man. He held the bow for an extended moment before Heihachi told him to stand at ease.

"Thank you grandfather. It means a lot to hear those words spoken from you," The younger Kazama responded, keeping his posture straight and stiff, keeping his focus from earlier engaged.

Heihachi stood before the cub - adjusting the wraps around his wrapped wrists, while a cocky smirked formed on his wrinkled face. He was ready to show the youth the power of a Mishima in hopes that the promise the cub showed would come forth in the same tremendous strength: the aspiration forged Jin into a true Mishima and shape him in his own image.

"Today is the beginning of harnessing all that power in your blood boy. If you can go blow for blow with me you'll win the Iron Fist Tournament and continue the legacy of the Mishima," The patriarch laughed loudly while cracking his neck from side to side. The old man flexed his muscles beneath the fabric of his gi in preparation of the sparring match he was to have with his young protégé.

Jin did the same as his pedagogue by preparing his mind and body for the forthcoming match. The Kazama knew this would be a test to his resolve on entering and hosting the third Iron Fist Tournament. His reasoning was one only the man before him knew yet one that was kept secret from his dear older sister.

He knew that if Kazue had found out he was seeking revenge for their slain mother it would greatly upset her and she would disapprove. However, the younger brother viewed his training - as well as his hunger for gaining strength, along with his desire for vengeance, as necessary as eating, sleeping, and breathing.

The youthful male with focused eyes quickly fell into his stance, he was ready for battle with the only living Patriarch of his family and his teacher. Everything up to this point was relying on proving his mettle in hand to hand combat, even more so on showing he was ready to take on the creature that took his mother from him and his sister.

All the Kazama could hear was his steady breathing echoing in his ears as everything around him seem to fall into a slowed state of focus. Jin's vigilantly narrowed eyes gazed at the Patriarch as the old man's fist launched at him. The time had come and there was no longer a need for words, with relative ease Jin Kazama dodged his grandfather's strike.

Taking little to no time to recover from moving out of harm's way, Jin began his own offensive - an assault mixed with mid to low kicks and punches. The young Kazama didn't let the fact Heihachi blocked most of his strikes disrupt his hardened concentration. No, the cub focused more on exploiting the tiny moments in the old man's defense when it was left open.

The youth had confused the elder by striking mid to low when he suddenly landed a right jab directly to the temple of his head. The force behind the punch sent Mishima Heihachi staggering away from his protégé. Seeing the Patriarch stumbling away only further reinforced the desire to prove he possessed the strength needed to defeat an opponent. The Elder Mishima often told Jin not to show mercy to his foe, that it was a flaw that held no purpose in the arena, or in hand to hand combat.

Heeding the words of the Mishima, Jin continued his offensive. He launched an even more aggressive and forceful combination of strikes - intent on showing no signs of weakness. Only those indicating of the power held within.

The Elder Mishima could feel the sheer strength the younger one possessed as he took a heavy uppercut under the chin. Heihachi staggered back but only to quickly regained his bearings. The Patriarch stood firmly in place, his posture as stiff as a board, turning his attention back on the foe before him with a cocky smirk emerging on the elder's face.

This was exactly what the old man wanted to see - he wanted to see the power his grandson had. Mishima Heihachi wanted to see the rage and the mercilessness that the old man knew the Kazama held deep within. He felt the anger in every single strike Jin launched at him, along with the power to break anything that stood in his way, anything blocking him from obtaining the vengeance he sought. It was pure perfection and Heihachi wanted to exploit this pristine emotion for his own agenda.

The strength of Kazama Jin would no doubt lure the creature out. Once Heihachi took what he wanted from both the entity and his grandson, he would do away with them too; but only after taking care of the other nuisance that stood in the way first.

As the Kazama came rushing toward the older man with a fist raised to strike high once again. Heihachi made it a point to grab the youth by the wrist, twisting it behind his back harshly. He yanked and curved the appendage in such an unnatural fashion it earned a sharp gasp of pain from the young man held within its grasp.

"You're focus and strength are very promising indeed. Keep your eye on the prize boy… and you'll have the vengeance you long for, especially if you keep showing this kind of prowess. But remember who's stronger... you'd do good to make note of that." The Mishima Elder threatened the young cub as he jerked and tugged the boy's arm once more in an agonizing fashion before releasing the hold.

Jin stood breathing heavily gripping his arm in the hope of diminishing the pain that throbbed all through the extremity. He watched with a hardened gaze as his grandfather strutted slowly to the dojo's changing room, the man cackling loudly the whole way.

Alas, he stood watching the tiger on the back of the Mishima's gi disappearing from his line of sight as the old man walked away. The Kazama never thought he could be disgusted by anything in his life. The arrogance his elder exuded made the younger male want to get sick or even worse spit in the man's face.

"Arrogance… isn't a trait that is desired. Mother used to say that," Jin uttered under his breath. The contempt he felt, it was truly beyond words.

 

 


	6. THE DEEPER VILENESS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the chapter title comes from a song off The Marrow of a Bone album by DIR EN GREY. Using the title of said song as a prompt for the contents of the chapter. The actual song I listened to while writing this was I.V. by X Japan. Nice dark and gloomy sounding song to set the mood. Alright now it's time to get down to why the Zaibatsu is in South Korea in the first place! Also the Korean Mafia seems to be known by two names Geondal or Jodok. I kind of liked the sound of Geondal better so I went with that one. Now without further a-dudes I present to you the chapter… Enjoy!
> 
> [Update] BETA'd by CRYSTALMOONLIGHTI.

 

 

After a couple of weeks leisure time Kazue found herself in a stuffy room sat at a rather large elongated oval shaped wooden table with various different people in suits and ties. It was time to get down to business and to the whole reason; the Zaibatsu was in South Korea.

The discussion of the new partnership with the Uhjoheun Casinos was underway and would be followed with other events not entirely pertaining to the alliance like speaking engagements, press conferences, and photo ops by the millions.

In other words, it was time for the meticulous and uncompromising media blitz that came with being part of a high profile conglomerate. The media storm also seemed primed to take up the next few days - maybe even the remainder of the Zaibatsu's stay in the country.

This wasn't something Kazue wanted to be a part of but because of her position at the Zaibatsu being one of the few interpreters having a well-rounded knowledge of Korean, she was defaulted to tag along.

This wasn't something Kazue wanted to be a part of but because of her position at the Zaibatsu being one of the few interpreters having a well-rounded knowledge of Korean, she was defaulted to tag along. The young Kazama also moonlighted as one of Heihachi's personal secretaries and assistants - her presence around the man himself made him more likable to the public.

The Mishima Patriarch was often quoted to be a family man and adored having his two grandchildren accompany him wherever he went, or so the newspapers and other media outlets said and were inclined to believe.

All the chatter in the room sounded more like mindless psychobabble with irritating and sometimes boisterous laughter. Lucky for the young Kazama the Uhjoheun CEO had brought his own interpreter to take the weight off her shoulders as a gesture of goodwill to the Mishima Family.

The man's appearance wasn't one you would normally associate with a corporate CEO, but one more akin to that of a crime syndicate boss. Most people probably wouldn't see his slicked back dark hair with the one white stripe all that alarming - but Kazue had seen many of his type before.

The young woman was no fool and Heihachi never denied the fact that the partnership with the casino was one really made with the Geondal. The Uhjoheun Casino was owned and operated by a very influential boss in the Korean mafia – his name was Kim Yong-Jin.

Kazue had done research during some of her free time and found internet sources with information on Kim. Rumors had surrounded the Uhjoheun Casino's ties to the Geondal for ages. Furthermore, with as much power as Kim Yong-Jin had additionally, all the accusations and assumptions were swept under the rug with a hefty sum of Korean Won.

By this point one would think that the people the elder associated with would surprise his ward. Moreover, what truly surprised the grandchild was the leaps and bounds the old man would go through just to obtain absolute power.

In addition to her wonderment was how no one dared to cross the Mishima, Kazue assumed after years and years of being top dog someone would dare to challenge him, yet the young woman hadn't heard of anyone who had.

The older Kazama sibling sat muddled in her own thoughts until a very familiar and sharp clearing of the throat got her attention. The girl looked over to her grandfather while straightening her posture in the cushy leather chair she sat in.

"Yes Grandfather?" she questioned softly while bowing her head ever so slightly.

Heihachi's eyes bore into her sharply for only a moment before raising his large tree trunk like hand to adjust his tie and suit jacket.

"I don't how much you've heard my darling child or even if you were paying attention but it's time to take a photo for the newspaper. Come now, Kazue." The Elder said with a skilfully hidden patronizing tone.

The young woman felt her heart fall for a brief moment almost as if it had literally sunk to the bottom of her chest and drowned in the pits of her stomach. Yet as her paternal grandfather stood, she did as well to avoid any further condescending conflict.

She followed the executives from both companies out into an area deemed worthy for the photo op and after everyone was placed several photos were snapped in various postures and positions.

Kazue knew the day was going to be a long one especially after another Zaibatsu secretary handed her the full itinerary. The young woman sighed when she saw that a speaking engagement held at a university was next.

After a long moment of staring at the list of activities, the young woman felt the buzzing of her phone nestled in her clutch tucked under her arm. She quickly opened it and snatched the phone from within, which caused a slight smile to cross her visage as she read a message.

 

_**~Wanna get together for some Dak-Galbi? Remember you owe me!~** _

 

Kazue was pleasantly surprised to see the message was from Hwoarang since their initial outing together the two had only been corresponding via texts. After all, she had fallen busy with the preparation for the corporate meeting with the casino.

Of course she could lie and say it was a friend from back home but Heihachi would check then double check, even would triple check to see if she was lying or not. The old man would no doubt go beyond by directly contacting said 'paid' friend to see if they had spoken to her.

The Kazama sent a message saying to the fiery Korean that she was unfortunately still busy and would get back to him a soon as possible to plan another outing – at least once she had a moment spare. Content, the lady placed the phone back in its hiding place.

After a while of more mindless chatter, the Kazama and her paternal grandfather were whisked away to the awaiting limo to be driven to their speaking engagement. The ride there was a tense one but every single moment with the Mishima Elder was always severe, cold, and uncomfortable.

The young ward tried her best not to irritate the Patriarch or even look in his direction as the car tried to rush through dense traffic. Even though she tried to avoid an altercation with the Mishima, it seemed as if the longer they sat in silence the more she knew it was imminent.

"You know Kazue… your mere existence revolts me. The purity in your blood is absolute and disgusting. I remember your mother and her effect on my son. I saw it. The full force of it when I fought him. It weakened him greatly." Heihachi began his monologue.

The young Kazama slowly turned her gaze to her grandfather as he spoke of her mother and of her and Jin's father. Even though alarm bells were sounding in her head as she briefly remembered pondering over who dared to challenge Heihachi. The fleeting thought that it could have been her father had never crossed her mind until the Elder spoke of fighting him.

It annoyed her how curious she suddenly felt because she wanted to hear more about the father she never knew. The emotion of a child and of a little girl yearning for a single shred of information about her father slightly coming forward but that singular pure sentiment angered her.

Even though it intrigued her to hear Heihachi merely mention the man in gist simply because her mother spoke of him so rarely. Furthermore, as much as she wanted to revel in romanticized thoughts and visions of her heroic father she knew this wasn't a conversation about reminiscence - it was a warning.

"I even see it now the very same sickening glimmer in you. You are so much like her in essence, aura, and energy. But Jin… he has potential much like Kazuya before Jun infected him with her disease. He has what it takes and you my dear, much like your mother, are a nuisance and an inflection. A plague that is keeping him from reaching his full ability… even more so – his latent power within,"

The Mishima Elder continued on with a stone cold stare directly aimed at the Kazama sat opposite him.

As much as the young woman wanted to celebrate, finally knowing and hearing her father's name spoken aloud, to finally know where her namesake partially came from, the Kazama knew she could not.

She also felt sadness as Heihachi spoke of the power which Kazuya had that Jin apparently possessed. The Kazama had a sickening feeling that power the old man spoke of was mercilessness and the heroic delusions she had in her head of her father quickly faded.

All she could do was stare back with an equally hardened gaze, silently knowing that this was the moment she'd waited for - start of a nightmare about to come true - a juncture in which she would learn what her fate would be.

"I keep you around purely because you can benefit me in the end. Remember Kazue… If you betray my trust, I will do away with you and I will tell Jin of your deceptions and turn him against you. Without you in the picture he'll find his true power and I'll finally have the uncorrupted heir I deserve."

Heihachi finished his speech just as the limo came to a stop and much like when they arrived in Seoul, the old man meticulously fixed his attire before the driver came around to open the door. With one final callous glare in the direction of his granddaughter, the Mishima Elder exited the vehicle.

Kazue wasn't stupid and she could read between the lines in the words her grandfather articulated. He was watching her and waiting for an opportunity to strike but the young woman knew it made no difference - she was already marked. He would deem her expendable in any way he saw fit or to his liking just to do away with her.

It pained her - only because someone who was family thought so little of her life but she knew she had to be strong no matter what was to happen. It filled her heart with fear knowing she could be gone seemingly within a blink of an eye if the Mishima willed it so.

Even with the feeling of numbered days, the question that resounded deep inside the confines of her mind was whether to live her life in fear or accept the inevitable end.

 

 

 


	7. UTMOST LIMITS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New Update! I know it's been a long time since I last updated this story but here we are! I don't really have much to ramble about before the chapter starts so instead I will give another nice huge shout out to my love CRYSTALMOONLIGHTI. Thanks so much for proofing this chapter and the previous ones as well! The title is taken from the song that plays in the Naraku stage in Tekken Tag Tournament 2. I thought it was fitting for the chapter. I hope who's reading this enjoys and thanks for reading!

 

 

 

It was another morning in the Mishima household and no matter what city the Elder and his cubs currently resided for a short or extended amount of time, Heihachi made sure his grandchildren did as they were told - especially when he came to personally deliver the message.

Today's message was for the Kazama siblings to meet him outside the hotel dressed in full dojo attire – and to be ready for a training session.

The two Mishima wards did as they were told, and quickly dressed. In a manner of minutes, they were outside their current place of residence and in the limo driving away to the nearest place of combat practice.

The ride there was a silent one - but brimming with all the usual and familiar tension. Kazue wasn't sure what to expect, especially since this would be her first training session with her paternal grandfather and brother in a very long while.

It was no secret to her that Heihachi valued Jin's training more than her own. After all, Jin was considered the heir and his training was top priority. It mattered not to the young woman - and she made it a point to continue her training on her own.

Whatever Heihachi's reasoning for requesting her to join in this morning's session really didn't have any significance to her, what the young woman knew was that she was thankful for it. After the stress of finalizing the deal with the Uhjoheun Casinos - and her conversation with her 'beloved' grandfather, The Kazama needed to blow off some steam.

All she could do was apologize to Jin later on and help patch him up if she managed to land any damaging blows. The only excuse she could give her brother was that she was on edge – but in actuality, Heihachi's words had stewed in her consciousness, only serving to make her angry, an emotion the young woman tried so hard to repress.

Jin sat in silence along with his grandfather and sister too anxious to even try to break the never-ending quiet. The younger brother's instinct could feel that the usual tension wasn't as normal as he thought it to be. He slightly turned his gaze to his sister as she sat looking out the window watching traffic and scenery go by with her jaw tightly clenched.

The young man found it rather odd for Kazue to show any signs of impatience or anger, it wasn't in her nature to lose her temper or even allude to any aggressive tendencies. With his observation, Kazama Jin concluded that something must have happened between her and their grandfather while they were away attending to Zaibatsu affairs.

As much as the younger brother wanted to try and break the silence and tension, the limo came to a stop outside the dojo where he and Heihachi trained previously.

"Once inside, hurry and warm up - then we'll begin." The Mishima Elder said sternly as the driver came around and opened the door.

The Elder and his wards entered the dojo just as silent as they were on the way here, then parted ways, with the siblings going on ahead, and their caretaker going to change as to prepare for the session by himself.

Kazue remained mute as she began fishing for her hand warps from a side pocket of her gym bag, setting it down in a corner so it wouldn't get in the way. Jin stood in silence along with her, gazing at the older sibling in confusion as she diligently wrapped her hands in the bright green cloth. He could see that she wasn't being herself and that something must've been on her mind - but the young man continued adjusting his own gauntlets before walking over to grab a candle, for not only himself, but his sister too.

"Is there something wrong?" He finally inquired in a low whisper while handing her one of the lit candles.

Kazue stared at Jin for a moment - debating on telling her brother what transpired between her and their paternal grandfather. Reaching her hand out to accept the candle from her brother, the young woman decided against telling him about the conversation with The Mishima Elder nearby.

"It's nothing Jin. Shall we?" she replied in a stoic manner as she cupped her hand around the candle flame. She walked to the center of the dojo's wooden flooring with Jin following, and the two siblings bowed to one another knowingly before sitting down.

The two sat side by side and each began focusing on preparing their mind and body. Kazue sat breathing in and out deeply - paying close attention to every breath that she inhaled and exhaled. The young woman looked as though she had slipped away from the world when she opened her eyes to stare into the flickering flame of the candle.

In her mind's eye, the candle's flame was metaphor of her own life. The young woman knew that her actions would determine if the fire of her soul would continue to burn bright or be snuffed out. Her deep brown eyes gazed intensely as the flame danced, and as the flame continued on, Kazue's resolve hardened like cold steel. The more she thought, the more the anger ate away at her - tempering a blade sharpened with aggression and determination.

The Kazama slowly began to rise to her feet, eyes darkened and glistening with a glassy onyx shimmer. She began her movements, her own dance of fluid motions, with each and every one ending with a sharp crackling snap - punctuating her will and her intent. Kazama Kazue was no weakling - and she was determined to show her strength, her fire and her power.

The young woman released a fierce breath to signal the end of her kata - as her own aura crackled and snapped around her fists. Green lightning slowly beginning to dissipate as the Kazama bent down to blow out the candle.

"Excellent Kazue, you have improved since the last time I trained with you." bellowed Heihachi's voice from the back of the dojo.

Jin had just finished his own kata not long after his sister and the two bowed respectfully to the Elder as he approached the center where the siblings stood.

"I never imagined you could improve but you have." Mishima Heihachi continued with a sneer plastered on his face.

Kazue stared back at her grandfather just as fiercely as he glared at her, with contempt. The young woman had the fire of a raging phoenix reborn from the abysmal ashes - it was running through her veins.

"Thank you for your kind words grandfather. It really means a lot to me to hear them from you." The Kazama said through a clenched jaw as she bowed respectfully with a hint of venom laced in the very words she spoke.

Heihachi was no fool, and the elder quickly picked up on the ill intent that the young woman discreetly tried to hide. This only served to pique the Elder Mishima's curiosity as he continued to smirk mercilessly at the two siblings before him.

"Well then shall we begin? It's been a long time since I've seen you spar, Kazue. Why don't you and Jin have a bout…" The Mishima uttered in a low tone tinged with cruelty.

The younger Kazama remained silent during the exchange between his sister and grandfather. It made the youngest feel the strangest sense of heavy foreboding dread - his blood ran cold.

Jin had never heard his sister use that tone of voice before as a matter of fact, he had never heard anyone speak so coldly before in his life. Her voice sounded as though she was void of all emotion. The chill he felt in her words reminded him of their grandfather - which only served to alarm him even more.

"Grandfather, I really don't think that would be fair to Kazue…" The brother began in a feeble attempt to shield his sister who slowly turned her gaze his direction. The look in her eyes wasn't exactly the kindest, it was one hardened with the need to prove oneself – fused with underlying malice.

"I think it's a fine idea Jin. I haven't sparred in a while with you. I don't mind it at all if that's what grandfather wishes. We shouldn't disobey." She finally replied as she stepped backwards, assuming her stance. The young woman still carried more than enough toxicity in her answer to kill on sight.

Heihachi watched as the older sibling took up her stance in an almost defiant and overly confident manner. He continued to observe, as the younger reluctantly took up his stance with hesitation heavy in his darkened, maple shaded eyes.

Heihachi wanted to see what strength Kazue held. Even though it mattered not to the Mishima what kind power she possessed - or if she even had potential, he still resolved to find a way to rid himself and his grandson of her one way or another.

Jin stood stoic and still, almost as if he had turned to stone, his eyes still carried a weight that made him feel uncomfortable in more ways than just one. He was used to sparring with his sister back in the forests of Yakushima - and when they first came to live on the Mishima Estate - but the younger couldn't shake the feeling that something was troubling the older.

"Kazue…" Jin started quietly.

"I know what you're going to say and there's no need Jin. I appreciate your concern. I always have and always will. Now let's begin." The lady Kazama replied softly - as the gentleness she held for her brother shone through, even as she raised her fists.

The younger took his stance while nodding stiffly obeying his sister's request - as Heihachi's laughter boisterously filled the eerily silent dojo. Hearing the man laugh, the older Kazama clenched her teeth with enough strength to snap every last one down to little sharpened points.

The longer the young woman stood debating whether or not to make the first move - the more she thought about the Elder Mishima and the kind words he had shared with her. Without fully thinking it through, Kazue launched a punch aimed straight at Jin's jaw.

Jin was taken aback by the ferocious attack the older sibling sent his direction. The younger managed to dodge the fist which veered his way, but found himself gasping for air after moving to dodge so swiftly. Kazue followed up with a punch to Jin's stomach - then quickly back flipped away from her brother as he collapsed to the floor, winded from her blow.

She didn't want to take out her frustration on her brother, but whenever Heihachi erupted in laughter – it caused her blood to boil. It was almost as if she could see nothing but red heat rising from her body - her eyes seemed twisting a soulless black. Her mind blank with rage – Kazue charged once again with a fist at the ready, striking Jin in the temple as he attempted to get back to his feet. The force of the blow sent him to the floor once more.

Jin's vision blurred as he desperately tried to regain focus, doing his best not to lose consciousness. He knew his sister was near and more than likely was ready to strike once again. The young brother rolled to his back – before he could attempt to block with his forearms, Kazue landed a sharp heel kick directly to his chest. Jin began his retreat from her once again; but she stopped him by grabbing his shoulder, forcing him onto his back, then pinned him to the floor.

She began savagely landing blow after blow to the young man's face, who now had his forearms trying to block every strike as much as he possibly could.

Yet again, Jin found himself baffled by his sister's intensity, it was as if it came out of nowhere - and he struggled to understand why. With his vision still blurry, Jin felt as though he were fighting blind - but quickly noticed the older sibling had stopped the assault. Lowering his guard partially, he could see the outline of his sister hovering above him.

"Kazue..." He whispered quietly. The young man's tone was more questioning than anything else. Jin wasn't sure what to expect - but knew that silence was never a good thing in certain situations. The only sound that filled the room was Heihachi's snickering and condescending laughter.

The younger Kazama felt the weight of sister shift as she stood to her feet. His vision losing the foggy edge slowly as he made out Kazue's hand – it seemed to be held out for him to grab.

As she pulled Jin to his feet to stand, the older sibling stared at her brother for a long moment.

She had bloodied his nose, split his lip and underneath his left eye were the beginnings for a bruise slowly turning blue, yellow and purple. This was a normal thing for martial artists; Kazue knew this and understood it very well. What she didn't like was the anger that managed to seep its way out of her – the rage that turned into vicious and merciless animosity.

"I've done enough for today. I would like to return to the hotel please." Kazue mumbled, seemingly emotionless. The young woman stood stone-still with her eyes to the floor, bowing rigidly to her grandfather.

Heihachi stepped forward, chuckling while running his fingers along his chin, the other hand placed on his hip.

"I suppose you've done enough for today, you'll only be a distraction to Jin if you continue to linger here," The old man replied, snapping his fingers for one of the Tekken Force suits to come forward.

Kazue's eyes flickered upward, gazing at her paternal grandfather. His words - they were clearly meant to force some kind of reaction from her, but the young woman was done playing the Mishima's heartless game.

"Take her back to the hotel. Make sure she reports to you if she decides to venture into the city," Heihachi dictated to his lackey.

"Yes sir!" The goon bowed to the Elder Mishima stiffly before turning to Kazue - motioning her to the exit. "This way, Miss Kazue."

Kazue raised a brow slightly, and then scooped up her bag from the corner she'd left it in. Making her way to the armed suit, she turned to bow at her grandfather and brother, "I will see you both later," before heading out to the awaiting limo.

Once in the vehicle, Kazue dug through her bag to find her phone. Opening her contacts and finding Hwoarang's number, the Kazama quickly sent a message to him - asking if he was available to meet up. Before she could even put the phone away, it buzzed signaling a reply from Hwoarang.

 

 

_**~Yeah. I'm free. Say, we meet up at the cafe near your digs yeah? From there you owe me Dak-Galbi!~** _

 

 

The young woman smiled briefly, putting her phone back into her gym bag and turning her gaze to the scenery flying past as the car sped onward.

 

 

 

 


	8. DRAIN AWAY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per the usual, the chapter title comes from a song, this time DRAIN AWAY by DIR EN GREY. Title was used as a prompt more than for the lyrical content and there's a cameo from a song by the band OBLIVION DUST entitled Red Light, Green Light. Of course it's just the lyrics but I thought it would be nice to put the info here in case anyone was wondering where they were from. Alright I'll cut this ramble short... ENJOY!

 

 

 

After arriving at the hotel suite, Kazue quickly showered then dressed herself in a simple black t-shirt with blue jeans. The young woman let her hair drape over her shoulders while she swiftly put on socks and sneakers. She didn't feel like pulling her hair up - especially since she had a headache, seemingly caused from the stress of the dojo earlier.

The only thing on the young woman focused on now was meeting up with Hwoarang and eating Dak-Galbi. She wanted to breathe and be out from under the oppressive atmosphere that was Mishima Heihachi. A reprieve, a single moment's respite from the tyranny. The young woman snatched her messenger bag from the desk in her quarters and swiftly made her way to the front door, where one of Heihachi's goons stood as a blockade.

“Ms. Kazue, Mr. Mishima has instructed me to inquire about your comings and goings. If you may be so kind please give me details of your departure and when your projected return will be?” The Tekken Force suit stood stone still with his eyes hidden behind the standard issue pair of sunglasses.

Kazue sighed deeply even though she was used to this procedure. She’d done it a million times before, and at this particular moment in time the questions posed annoyed her.

“I'm heading out for a walk and some shopping. I'm not sure when I'll be returning, but I will make sure it will not be past curfew. If you could kindly inform Mr. Mishima I would greatly appreciate it,” The young woman informed the Tekken Force operative.

The stone-like statue of a man stiffly moved from his position blocking the door and gave a brief nod then bowed to Kazue.

“I will inform Mr. Mishima immediately. Thank you Ms. Kazue and have a nice time.” The man went back to his stoic statue-like posture.

The Kazama bowed back and mumbled in thanks before heading out of the door - and then down the elevator to the ground floor. Once she left the hotel’s front entrance, the cool wind blew through her loose hair - and Kazue felt an instant relief as she began her walk to the cafe. Her stride as she walked seemed to be gliding across the pavement as if she was flying through the blue sky above. She felt like a bird as a gust of wind further increased the sensation of freedom and the fluidity of movement that came with it.

Basking in her moment of relief, the smell of fresh coffee and pastries hit her senses as she approached the meeting place. She saw a familiar red head sat outside - occupying a table with booted feet crossed atop it's surface. He seemed to be bobbing his head along to something and as Kazue grew closer, she heard him singing along to a song.

“ _Set off a spark from that fuse. When I don't know what else to do. Last night was something I could believe in, Bleed in.”_ The Korean sang in heavily accented English while tapping his index finger to the beat on the rim of his coffee cup.

Kazue heard the music blasting from his headphones at an alarming volume, which caused passersby to stare at the youth. Hwoarang didn't care though as he continued to sip his coffee - still singing and bobbing his head along to his music.

She loved his carefree way of living. Indeed, it made the young woman yearn to have the same demeanor, but her circumstances couldn't afford such a luxury.

Kazue tapped the red haired youth on the shoulder to get his attention. Hwoarang removed his headphones and situated them around his neck with the music still blasting from them.

 

**_-Seek and bow down for it now. Seek and bow down for it now. Cause I'm your motherfucking angel. You might say this butterfly re-evolved. Ha ha ha we're still the underdog with more bite.-_ **

 

Kazue raised a brow at the lyrics of the song to which Hwoarang was listening. The song itself seemed familiar to her, as if she had heard it before while hanging out in a music store with a hired friend in Tokyo.

“Yo, how goes it?” He greeted the Kazama.

Kazue pulled out a chair and uncharacteristically slumped in the metal seating with a heavy sigh. Hwoarang eyes widened at her display of what could only be describe as frustration. Judging from their first outing together, she seemed so reserved and careful of her emotions and in turn the display of said emotions.

“I'll take that as a ‘no’. Normally I don't do this… but since I'm intrigued by you, what happened? Gramps?” Hwoarang inquired, slightly curious as to the change in behavior.

Kazue leaned back in her seat tucking hair behind her right ear. A much softer sigh escaped her lips while she pondered the Korean rogue’s question. She was weighing out the pros and cons of telling the redhead what was troubling her. If she were to explain the true reason, she would have to explain the dynamics of her family, which would take a while – a very long while.

“Yes, it is gramps to start off. He and I had words some time ago,” Kazue replied quietly - still having doubts about her decision to share.

Hwoarang was surprised that she actually took him up on his offer to talk. The woman before him seemed more troubled than the last time they met - or when they talked via text messages.

“And?” He couldn't help but feel curious.

The young woman shifted in her seat while crossing right leg over the left, and then situating her hands in her lap.

“Normally I wouldn't let his words get to me… but this time they did. Today, before coming here, he called my brother and me to train at a dojang. He wanted us to spar with one another. I was enraged… and took it out on my brother.” Miss Kazama seemed bothered – not to mention alarmed by her own actions. The expression she wore on her face told the Korean all he needed to know.

“So you beat up your bro because of some bullshit gramps said? Kazue, you're human. It's okay to get angry. Just apologize to lil bro when you get home. I think he'll understand... I think so anyway. I don't know your brother but I'm hoping he's not like gramps.” Hwoarang said trying to make the young woman feel better.

Kazue shook her head slowly as if to refute the words of comfort Hwoarang offered. Her actions upset her because they were very unlike her, the anger she felt was so intense which made her feel very uneasy.

“I never act out like that. It's not me... the anger. I just wanted to hurt someone and I've never felt like that,” The Kazama replied, averting her eyes from the Korean.

Hwoarang ran his fingers through his red tendrils while stuffing his hand into his pocket to pull out his MP3 player to shut it off.

“Whatever granddad said must have struck a nerve with you. Don't feed into his fuckery, Kazue. I don't know what exactly he said… but don't play into it. Maybe he's trying to get a rise from you, I don't know, but just keep cool.” The red haired rogue gave advice as cool as he looked.

A small smile appeared on Kazue's face after hearing the aloof words of wisdom her Korean friend gave her. He really was that laid back, even with his street smart words of wisdom spoken in the same fashion.

“Thanks. I'll keep your words in mind.” She replied.

Hwoarang nodded his head accepting her gratitude, but also waving it off with his hand in a way that said 'don't worry about it'.

“Alright I don't want you to be all doom and gloom over there, so let's grab that Dak-Galbi you owe me and have some fun. What do you say?” He suggested with a smirk plastered on his face as he stood up.

Kazue followed his lead while humming her confirmation with a brighter smile.

“I'm good with that plan, but what could we do for fun?” She questioned curiously, as they began to walk, making their way to the same restaurant they went to on their first outing.

“Hmmm, how about we go to an arcade after grabbing the grub?” The Korean suggested.

Kazue nodded her head agreeing to the idea since it was something she was familiar and comfortable with. When the red haired rogue mentioned fun, Kazue's first thought was a nightclub or bar – two places she had never been before.

“I think that sounds like a good idea!” The Kazama finally spoke up as the two crossed the street.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Man that was amazing! Always hits the spot, Dak-Galbi!” Hwoarang chuckled as he stretched his muscles walking towards the entrance to leave the restaurant. Kazue giggled softly behind him as they stepped out into fresh air.

“You owe me now.” She laughed as the two stopped for a brief moment. The Korean's back was still facing the Japanese woman as his arms reached toward the sky releasing a loud grunt accompanied by yawn.

He slowly turned his head to look back at the young lady behind him with an amused smirk spreading across his face.

“I know. Don't worry though… I'm a man of my word!” He replied, letting his arms fall to his sides before turning around.

Kazue hugged herself as a gentle breeze blew, causing a slight chill. It was comforting to her and she closed her eyes to enjoy it while it fluttered by - whirling through her locks of hair softly.

Hwoarang stood silent for a moment watching Kazue intently as she seemed to be appreciating the breeze. He watched as it swirled and whipped the blackened tendrils of her long hair around gingerly. The strands reminded him of ink on paper, thin lines being pressed down and then spreading across the page. The Korean rogue found himself captivated by how peaceful she looked and how beautiful it was to see – true tranquility even if only for a moment.

He was speechless even though he wanted to say something, but that something wouldn't come out. The only thing he could do was stare as the breeze grew slightly stronger tussling about his own copper strands.

Kazue slowly opened her eyes to see Hwoarang gazing at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. It wasn't angry, agitated or annoyed but it was one she had never seen on anyone before. It seemed like he was lost in thought yet the Kazama knew what being lost in thought looked like - but his visage wasn't that. He was focused on her, quietly watching, letting the wind blow.

“What?” the Kazama finally spoke up with a smile.

Her voice seemed to snap the redhead out of the trance he was in, as he quickly began rubbing the back of his neck with the opposite hand pressed against his hip.

“Nothing. So you ready to get to the arcade?” He replied, returning back to his usual aloof coolness.

Kazue began to walk slowly passing by the Korean then stopping a few steps ahead. “Yep! Come on.” She turned around and smiled softly at the Blood Talon. Hwoarang stood for a moment longer - glancing down at his booted foot scraping the concrete with the tip of his toe. He felt like an idiot, letting himself get caught staring at her like that, yet at the same time he wasn't really that mad at himself for it either.

The fiery red-haired Korean began his stride steadily, until her passed the young woman who accompanied him. Satisfied to hear her footsteps following him, they continued onward - stopping every now and then so Kazue could snap a picture of something that piqued her interest - or when she had a question about something that intrigued her.

Hwoarang found himself more than happy to let her do as she wished. He found that he liked answering her questions and explaining about his culture and country. He also found himself enjoying seeing her smile and snapping pictures while she quietly giggled like a child. It was sweet and he figured it was something she never really got the chance to do.  
  
When they arrived at the arcade, Kazue stopped Hwoarang before they entered. It was exactly how she thought it would be. Flashing lights and the onslaught of clashing sounds from hundreds of different games blaring out of the doors as they opened and shut.

“Something wrong?” The Blood Talon asked the quiet Kazama. She seemed a bit distracted, which made Hwoarang feel a slight tinge of worry creep up on him.

“No, nothing's wrong. I just was wondering if you'd take a picture with me?” She asked nervously. Kazue wanted to remember this day – she didn't want it to be a memory that would fade away with time. With a picture, she could at least have something tangible and physical that recounted the fun she was having. A memento she could hold while looking back reminiscing about the good time, she had.

The redhead stood silently contemplating her request; he wasn't sure what good taking a picture would do at this point. The rogue had already resolved to himself that after her conglomerate was done with their business in Korea he most likely wouldn't see her again. Taking a picture wouldn't bode well.

“You don't have to if you don't want to. I understand.” Kazue piped up then began to stuff her camera back in her bag. Hwoarang tried to ignore the pull his heartstrings were beginning to feel as he watched her face go from nervous to slightly disappointed.

“I never said ‘no’ did I? Don't put the camera away,” He remarked, removing his hands from his denim pockets in a defeated manner. The pull won out even though he fought hard against it.

Kazue looked over to the Korean with a small smile gracing her gentle features. She skipped over to stand next to the tall red-haired rogue and tried to snap a picture - then quickly realized it wouldn't come out properly.

“Could you?” She laughed sheepishly, handing the camera over to Hwoarang who laughed in reply.

He took the camera and looked it over trying to find the button. When he located it, the Korean leaned down to match her height better, then put his right arm around her shoulders.

“One, two, three... Smile!” He chuckled.

The young Japanese woman smiled brightly as the flash went off - it was the most genuine smile she had worn in a long time - and one that was filled with true happiness. She bowed to Hwoarang deeply while muttering a thank as she took the camera from him.

The redhead chuckled once more, waving his hand and dismissively telling her it wasn't a problem at all. In the end, he was glad he took the picture with her; the grin she wore was reward enough. It felt weird to him to feel happy about making someone else happy. Hwoarang wasn't one to go around like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The world wasn't like that, no one stole for him or gave anything to him for that matter. Not before Baek Doo San anyway.

Therefore, to feel a sense of satisfaction that was outside of making himself or his master happy was an entirely new thing.

“Come on! I'll try and win you something even though I hate that fucking crane game!” He exclaimed, glaring at the very thought of it. His brows furrowed in the center, which sent Kazue into a tiny fit of laughter. Hwoarang shook his head while placing his hands on his hips.

“Don't laugh at my pain and misery! That game is rigged! Come on!” He complained as she grabbed his arm - and lead him into the arcade, laughing the entire way.

 

 

* * *

 

  

It had been three hours since arriving at the arcade and the two had played many games together in between repeated tries at the dreaded crane. Both Hwoarang and Kazue were on their way to the entrance since it was time for the Kazama to head back - when the fiery Korean paused for a moment.

“Don't tell me you're thinking of trying that again?” Kazue laughed, staring curiously at Hwoarang as he glared at the offending machinery.

He viewed it as an opponent in a match and he wasn't about to go down so easily. The Blood Talon reached into his pocket to pull out the last of his tokens and slammed them into the slot to begin the game.

“I'm not going to lose this time! I _will_ win that cat plush keyring!” He declared as he began maneuvering the joystick carefully. Taking a deep breath, he began the dreaded descent of the crane.

Kazue watched with baited breath as the claws began to surround the plush. She bit her lip trying to keep from shouting encouragement since the redhead was in deep concentration.

Hwoarang rolled his neck around his shoulders with slight audible pops as the crane’s ascent began. Once it was up and the plush seemingly secured in its grasp, the Blood Talon began moving to claim the prize.

“Come on you son of bitch… don't you fucking fall!” He mumbled as the crane with plush key ring in hand drew closer and closer to the drop box. Kazue stood on her tippy toes holding her breath afraid that if she let it out the toy would drop. Closer and closer, it got. Almost there.

“FUCK YES!!!!” The Korean shouted quickly shoving his hand into the opening to grab the cat plush keyring. He swiftly turned to face Kazue with a triumphant smile spread wide across his face, while holding out the newly capture toy to the Kazama.

She laughed and jumped up slightly in celebration before holding her hand out to Hwoarang to place the prize in her hand.

“The crane machine is defeated!” She said joyfully as he handed her the plush. He chuckled and shook his head.

“I did say I would win you something didn't I? I'm a man of my word.” The red-haired rogue replied while playfully pointing his finger at the young woman before him.

Kazue nodded agreeing with his statement before bowing once again to thank him. She then held up the cute plush to take a closer look. It was a chubby round white cat with three little embroidered slits for eyes and a mouth and pink triangle for a nose. The little plump feline was also holding small little fish stitched to its tiny paw.

“How cute is this! Thank you Hwoarang. I'll cherish this little guy forever!” She announced cheerfully.

Hwoarang smiled while folding his arms across his chest - leaning against the now defeated game. He laughed gently, gazing at Kazue feeling content that she was happy.

“No problem. Come on, you better get going. Don't want you to be late.” He remarked- coming off the machine and placing a hand on Kazue's shoulder.

The young Kazama sighed softly before nodding an affirmation to let the Korean know she understood. The two walked in silence back to the café - and once they were standing out front of its entrance, Kazue felt dread wash over her.  
  
The Blood Talon picked up on it watching her face go from silent happiness to quiet despair.

“Hey, don't let gramps get to you… but if he does… text me and I'll help take your mind off of it like today.” The red-haired rogue offered, without thinking twice about his suggestion.

Kazue's eyes widened at the sudden offer - but she didn't turn it away either. The young woman gazed at Hwoarang from long while with gratitude shining brightly in contrast to her beautifully dark eyes.

“I will. Thank you.” She finally spoke up before turning and beginning the trek back to the clutches of Mishima Heihachi's tyranny.

 

 


	9. THE INFERNO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again much love and thanks to the awesome reviews! Giving me life right now as you can see with a quick update!! This chapter's title comes from yet another DIR EN GREY song dubbed THE INFERNO from their Arche album. Again, the song title was more of a prompt than the lyrics were. Real credit goes to the Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Mishima Building stage track! Listened to it the entire time I was writing this up. This chapter also is a JIN chapter! I felt it important to add this bit in because well... I like this bit. I like it a lot and I hope you do too! ENJOY!

 

 

After a long grueling training session with his grandfather and the uncharacteristic brawl with his sister, Jin found himself being bandaged by the deeply apologetic Kazue. He tried telling her that he was fine but she kept insisting on tending his wounds. The younger sibling sat quietly as she cleaned the scrapes and scratches while muttering 'I'm so sorry' every time she patted a cut with alcohol.

Once she was finished, Jin grabbed his sister's hand and held it for a moment before looking her in the eye and smiling.

“It's okay, you know? There's nothing you can do that would make me angry with you or make me turn my back on you,” He replied gently. The young man held Kazue in such a high regard - he adored her and had such profound affection for his sister. She was all he had when he actually thought about it - the only thing left from their quiet life in Yakushima with their mother.

The older sibling stared wide eyed at the younger for a moment not sure how to react to his words.

“Beat me up all you want Kazue, I'm never leaving your side. We have to stick together anyway... we promised mother....” His voice slowly veered off, becoming inaudible as he released his hold on Kazue’s hand.

The older Kazama smiled somberly patting her little brother's hair. She knew the mere thought of their mother would always send him into a deep sadness – something she hated seeing.

“Thank you Jin. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon alright? Don't you worry,” Kazue said, trying to comfort her brother. She patted his shoulder - and then set about cleaning up the first aid mess she had made.

Jin continued to sit in silence watching absently as his sister busied herself with putting away the alcohol and bandages. Try as he might. the young man couldn't take his mind off his mother and the final images he had of that night – the last time he saw her alive.

Growing tired and agitated with the constant flashes of Kazama Jun's last stand, Kazama Jin stood up, releasing an exasperated sigh. Kazue looked up from her busy work and immediately knew what was bothering her brother, but before she could speak he muttered that he was going to bed then headed to his room.

“Sleep well Jin. I'm sorry... for everything.” She mumbled, finishing up and heading to her own room for the night.

 

* * *

 

The youngest Kazama began his bedtime ritual of brushing his teeth, changing, then turning down the blankets for sleep. The Japanese youth sat on the edge of his bed as he set his alarm, making sure to be up early for his training. Once he was finished, he laid down.

Falling asleep wasn't an easy task for Jin - his mind was constantly filled to the brim with racing thoughts and sudden memories demanding to be acknowledged. It often kept him awake until the wee morning hours just before it was time for his training to begin. To say Kazama Jin had sleeping issues wouldn't be enough. No, it was combination of several things that kept his mind active – insomnia was the result.

When his eyes finally grew heavy and he could feel that sleep was approaching - Jin welcomed the darkness, hoping it would silence the intrusive thoughts.

 

 

~

 

_The sounds of joyous laughter could be heard ringing all around. It brought a smile to the dark-haired youth's face as he turned around to see the two people he cherished most in his life. His mother and sister sat in a field of white and yellow flowers. The young mother looked at her son with such adoration while she braided flowers in her daughter's hair._

“ _Come sit with us Jin!” she called out to her son._

_Jin smiled brightly at his mother, who laughed as his sister took a flower and held the stem under her nose._

“ _Jin!!” Kazue giggled while wiggling her nose - with the flower firmly held in place._

_Chuckling quietly to himself, the Japanese youth began to make his way over to his mother and sister. He started walking and then began a slight jog through the morning field – but something wasn't right. He wasn't closing any distance, he wasn't getting nearer._

_This sent a wave of crushing fear through the younger Kazama as he finally began a full run to try to reach his family._

“ _Mama! Kazue! Wait!” He shouted desperately, reaching out in hope he would draw nearer - but it was as if he was running in place._

_He kept pushing forward, trying to break the seemingly never-ending distance until something caught his eye. A shadowed figure, an ominous specter looming in the background just behind the serenity of his mother and sister. It was completely blacked-out in its silhouette, with what seemed to be bird's wings erupting from its back._

_It horrified Jin to see the fiend looming over them - and he was worried that the specter would try to harm them. The Japanese youth tried running again, shouting for his mother and sister to get to safety – but all that answered back was mocking laughter as the field went up in flames._

_Kazama Jin now found himself standing in a charred burning prairie with the silhouetted figured across from him – his mother and sister nowhere to be found. He could feel its blackened eyes staring deep into his soul, his very essence of being - and it made his blood run ice cold._

“ _Who are you? What do you want?” Jin questioned the shadowed figure, demanding to know what its intent was - but all the Japanese youth got in response was laughter. Its sinister cackle echoed everywhere, bouncing off unseen walls, mocking Kazama Jin._

“ _You'll find out soon enough...” the figure replied as two glowing red eyes opened - contrasting with the effigy's darkened profile._

_The younger Kazama could only let out a silent scream as the shadowed being reached out for him._

 

_~_

 

 

Jin shot upright in his bed - his breathing ragged with sweat dripping from his forehead. His eyes were wide with fear as he tried to calm himself down enough to form rational thought. Yet no matter how he tried to piece his mind together, the dream still felt all too real. His body felt as though it was ablaze – as if the heat of the sun that had shone down on him was real. It was as if he stood in the field of flowers, watching everything turn to charred ruin. For just a second he struggled to put everything into perspective. That place – it didn’t feel like an illusion.

The happiness was real, his mother was real, and the flowers she braided into Kazue's hair was real. It was REAL and so was the silhouetted figure.

The Japanese youth yanked the covers from his body and rushed into his bathroom, heading directly to the toilet. He grasped the porcelain and began to heave violently - expelling everything, he had taken in for nourishment.

Once his body calmed, the youth slumped down onto the floor, pressing his back against the cool wall. His focus quickly slid back toward his nightmare. It baffled him, how could a dream feel so intensely real? What bothered him even more was the specter telling him he'd ‘find out what it was soon enough’ - and how it felt when the being reached out for him. Jin could have sworn he felt the dark creature reach into his chest, latching its grip firmly on his heart - causing it to sear with unspeakable and unimaginable pain.

He couldn't understand it, he couldn't wrap his mind around it - but whatever it was, Kazama Jin knew it was an omen – one he decided to ignore.

The Japanese youth slowly picked himself up from the floor and walked over to the sink. Turning the faucet letting the cool water run before cupping his hands and splashing some over his face.

“It was just a dream.” He mumbled to himself, trying to ease the tension he felt before training was to begin. Jin kept repeating those words like a holy mantra, staring at his reflection in the mirror until he convinced himself. There was little time left to reflect. It was time to start his day.

 


	10. THE FATAL BELIEVER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per the usual chapter title comes from a DIR EN GREY song more as a prompt than for lyrical content. The song that I listened to while writing was EDGE by nowisee. Such a great song!
> 
> I know it's been a long wait but I had a lack of faith in my writing and then I tripped over my laptop charger cable causing the jack to break on the inside. I had to send it to be repaired and since my laptop was bought in the UK visiting my fiance the repair guy had to specially order the part and ugh two weeks without laptop. I appologize for the wait!
> 
> Alright then enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Oh and special thanks to CrystalMoonlightI for proofing and helping me get over my creative slump!

 

Jin woke up in a cold sweat gasping for breath; this method of rousing himself was frequently becoming his primary alarm clock. Every night the same dream of the field full of yellow and white flowers, it burning to charred embers, and the shadowed figure reminding the Japanese youth he'd find out soon enough.

It grated on the young man's nerves mostly because he felt he was going to reach his breaking point. He felt that he was losing his mind and it frightened him more than words could afford to express. Nevertheless, he soldiered on - wearing a poker face that could rival a master gambler and maybe even supersede it.

Even though conscious, no matter what task he was performing, no matter what event he was attending with the Zaibatsu - the nightmare wasn't far behind him. It lurked in the darkest depths of his mind, poking and stabbing its razor sharp awareness to the front of the Kazama's thoughts.

Distracting and disturbing were the only two words that Jin could find to describe the sensation he felt. It didn't matter what language it was in - English, Korean, Chinese or even his native tongue. It was cumbersome and filled him with dread but despite this, he continued.

The Japanese youth flung the blankets off to the side as he sat up, rubbing his eyes and massaging his temples. He felt stressed and tired – so very tired, but he had to keep up. He couldn't let anyone know that a silly little dream was causing him so much anxiety and distress. His grandfather would not be happy to hear of such a thing and would consider it a weakness.

There was no doubt in Jin's mind that if Mishima Heihachi found out about his fear of a simple little illusion that played out while he slept, the Elder would beat him senseless until he hardened into cold lifeless steel. That was the Mishima way, after all.

The youth tried to push away his thoughts in order to start his day. He stood, slowly stretching his muscles before padding off to the bathroom. He flipped the light switch and stood before the mirror gazing at his reflection. The younger Kazama sighed heavily as he continued to observe his visage in the reflective glass. He looked tired, there were bags under his eyes and dark circles slowly starting to develop.

There wasn't much he could do about the discoloration and opted to turn the tap, letting the cold water run before cupping his hands under the stream. He absently stared at the water pooling and flowing into and over the palms of his hands – then finally splashed the cool water over his face.

  
The Japanese youth sighed heavily once more, as he took a soft plush towel and gently pressed it against his face. It was just the start of his day... the beginning.

 

* * *

 

“Get up boy! I will not tolerate your lack of concentration!” Heihachi's voice echoed across the dojang's walls – bouncing from one end to the other in a seemingly continuous ricochet. He grunted and growled as he slowly began to stalk his grandson, who was sprawled across the flooring trying to come back to his senses. Jin could hear his grandfather's heavy footfalls creaking closer and closer as he began to roll over, attempting to get back on his feet.

  
Kazama Jin slowly started to pull his tired worn out body from the floor. The Elder Mishima had landed a blow to his face splitting the youth's lower lip – a single strike powerful enough to send him to the wooden floor below. Wiping the dripping blood from his chin - Jin was finally able to get to his knees resting his arm on the other to brace himself in preparation to stand. The Japanese youth sat for a moment shaking his head, trying to focus enough to finish off the sparing session, trying to catch his breath.  
  
“Hmph! You're disappointing me, boy. I thought you had the potential,” bellowed the Mishima Patriarch as he continued stalking the cub. The proud tiger wasn't impressed with the youth's display of skill. It was sluggish and sloppy, not worthy of the heir to the Mishima legacy.

  
Jin slowly brought himself to a stand; his breathing hadn't return to normal as it remain haggard and heavy. The Kazama felt as though he were going to pass out right there as the dojang began to become a blurring wheel rotating endlessly causing Jin to stagger. He shook his head to try and right himself once more but it did nothing.  
  
“You're insolence is making me angry, Kazama Jin!” Heihachi shouted at his grandson in such a tone that would make the spine twinge in fear.

Jin straightened his posture and shakily took up his stance, trying hard to ready himself in case his grandfather were to strike at any moment. The Japanese youth took slow deep breaths in and out, deep down he felt panic at the thought of passing out alongside angering the Elder Mishima.

“My apologies grandfather, I will focus and try my best.” Jin replied trying to placate his grandfather.

Heihachi's laughter filled the empty wooden halls as he got into stance, a merciless smirk appearing eerily on his face. He stomped with his barefoot with the sound of the impact reverberating.

“If you think your pleasantries are going to make me merciful you are wrong boy.” He growled charging at Jin.

 

* * *

 

The morning sun blazed down on the sleeping Kazama, its rays bathing the youth in the warmth of a new day. Jin rolled to his side but quickly was reminded of why he slept on his back. The events of yesterday - the training session with his grandfather, the lack of sleep, and the punishment he got for not focusing. He winced when he took in a deep breath to sigh and realized how sore he really was. His whole body felt like it had been ripped apart, his muscles screamed in agony when he tried to stretch them, and pulled whenever he tried to sit upright in the bed.

Frustrated, Kazama Jin let out a slight growl while slamming his head back onto the soft plush pillow bellow. He felt well-rested for the first time in days, yet his body did not want to cooperate with him long enough to sit up.

The Japanese youth decided to remain still for a moment, trying to will his body to work with him. Taking a deep breath once more, he very slowly began to roll to a sitting position at the edge of the bed with little grunts and groans of pain echoing quietly in the room. Once there, he paused for rest when a soft knock resounded in the silence.

“Come in.” Jin called quietly his voice rasping as he did so.

The door opened slowly to reveal his sister who wore a concerned expression. Kazue entered slowly and closed the door, making as little noise as possible. She crossed the room to stand adjacent to her little brother.

“How are you feeling?” she questioned gently as her eyes fell upon her bandaged sibling.

Jin grunted as he carefully scooted forward on the bedside bracing his feet firmly on the carpeted floor below. A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips, it wasn't a cocky one, but one of sarcastic scorn as he thought about the events from the day before.

“As well as can be expected.” The younger sibling muttered lowly.

His response made the older sibling turn her gaze to the floor out of guilt. She felt responsible for what happened and she wished she could have been there to try to stop what went on. All she could do now was tend to her brother and make sure he got as much rest as possible.

“Jin...” Kazue began but was silenced by her brother's intense gaze glaring at her, as if he was telling the young woman to stop blaming herself without having to vocalize the sentiment. It was an effective method because the older sibling didn't utter a single word after the hard stare, she kept quiet, knowing well enough what her brother would say to her.

Jin began to stand, releasing a sharp hiss of discomfort as his sister acted swiftly to help him up further.

“I don't want to stay in the suite all day. I want to go out. The sun is bright and it looks to be a really nice day, it would be nice to sit in the park for a bit.” He replied shuffling forward to the bathroom, Kazue staying close by making sure her brother would be okay.

“We haven't spent time together in a long while. Just us siblings, why don't you come with me?” Jin smiled his tone pensive in nature. Melancholic and saddened, almost as if he was trying to hide all the feelings he had bubbling beneath the surface.

Kazue smiled back thoughtfully, sensing her brother’s gloom, but she wasn't completely oblivious to the younger one's supposedly hidden struggles. She knew that something had Jin upset but with the entire Zaibatsu goings on, Kazue couldn't manage time to speak with him. When she had a moment spare, Heihachi summoned her brother to train and then she was bandaging his ribs and tending to his various scrapes and cuts.

“I think that would be nice Jin. I'll pack a picnic and I know of the perfect spot.” The older sister expressed her approval of the idea.

Jin's expression returned to one of stoic reflection as he agreed with his sister before walking stiffly into the bathroom to wash up.

 

* * *

 

Jin and Kazue had just finished the food she had packed and were staring up at the beautiful blue sky above. They were both silent, but the two wore expressions of both happiness and sadness. There was reverence in communing with nature, it was something that brought the two siblings tremendous amounts of joy whenever they found a moment to take off their shoes and walk on the smooth green grass – but with the joy, there was also horrendous pain and heartache.

The two each knew exactly what the other was thinking, which only served to make the siblings quietly mourn their mother together and comfort one another by simply being in the presence of the other.

“Jin...” Kazue broke the silence in hopes of sparking conversation to lift the heavy atmosphere of sorrow looming over.

The younger Kazama hummed in response to his sister's probing, curious to hear what she would say. He turned his gaze from the sky to her, waiting for her to reply quietly.

“I met someone.” She stated in a calm tone of voice, her gaze still on the wispy white clouds scrawled across the blue Seoul city sky. Jin's expression changed from curious to intrigued confusion. He wasn't sure what to make of her announcement and was quite dumbfounded by it.

“Who and when did you meet this person?” He asked cautiously, still perplexed by the sudden admission.

Kazue smiled softly as a breeze rustled the trees all around the pair. She felt that being honest with her brother was what kept their bond strong, that and the fact in actuality they only had one another. The young woman pulled her legs to her chest resting her chin atop her knees and sighed thoughtfully.

“I meet him here… not too long after we arrived. I quite like him, he's funny, a bit hot-headed, but he's kind. Well at least to me anyway.” She answered in a tone of voice Jin had never heard her use before. She sounded infatuated, almost as if she really had developed an endearment to this person whoever he was.

“Does he have a name?” Jin questioned further his intrigue and curiosity getting the better of him. He kept his gaze to his sister, carefully watching her facial features as she spoke about this mystery person she was fond of.

“Hwoarang.” Kazue said slowly pronouncing the name in it's native tongue as the soft smile she wore went to her eyes revealing her fondness of the person she spoke of.

Jin couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he watched Kazue's small smile turn to a beaming grin. She turned her gaze to her brother eyes widened at the outburst. It was something she hadn't heard from him in a while and it felt almost foreign to hear it.

“Sorry. Tell me more about him. He sounds interesting with a name like that.” Jin smirked happily continuing to laugh gently at his sister. Kazue frowned then playfully stuck her tongue out at her brother before obliging his request for more information.

“Well he's kind of tall with red hair. He has a foul mouth but it's charming in a weird way.” The older Kazama went on her smile still reaching her eyes.

Jin continued to chuckle as he listened to her list off traits, but he was happy that she was happy. Yet he couldn't help but think she sounded like the girl he went to school with that gushed about everything on earth constantly. As nice as Ling Xiaoyu was, and how much she helped him during school hours, she would annoy him from time to time with her seemingly endless chattering and constant pestering. When Xiaoyu was around there was never a quiet moment... NEVER.

“He lives such a carefree life, coming and going whenever he pleases, doing whatever he likes, whatever he wants. Sometimes I wish we could run away with him and have that same kind of life.” Kazue's muttered as the light left her eyes and her smiled faded.

Jin felt a chill rush over him as he watched her visage change in tone. Gone was the goofy grin and the glimmer in her eyes that sparkled like gemstones in sun light. The storm rolled in, blanketing her in the darkness of despair and hurt – a sable fog densely thick and never lifting. He could tell something weighed on her shoulders heavily, yet he could see what was coming before it happened. Just as quickly, as her mood turned grim - her body language changed once again and the 'Noh Mask' was firmly in place.

“Anyway. Enough of that,” Kazue turned to her brother and forced a smile, “We're here to enjoy our day.”

Jin scoffed at her declaration and turned his gaze back up to the sky. He was frustrated at her sudden switch, frustrated at how she could hide what she really felt yet he understood. It made him angry indeed, blindingly so at times but he understood.

“You always scold me for hiding how I feel yet here you are doing the very thing you tell me not to do.” The younger sibling mumbled.

Kazue took in a deep breath and sighed, knowing well enough that her brother wasn't pleased with her. She scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder gazing at him for a moment.

“I know. I'm sorry but for now let’s enjoy the sun, I promise I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel, okay?” She replied, closing her eyes while folding her arms across her chest. Jin grunted agreeing, with his sister eyes still firmly glaring up at the sky.

 

* * *

 

The Blood Talon walked through the park with a couple of guys from his gang. They were on the prowl ready to challenge and hustle anyone into a fight. The red-haired Korean and his crew were in need of cash to make ends meet.

“Hey, Hwoarang you think we'll find anyone to take the bait in this place?” asked one of his soldiers.

Hwoarang sucked his teeth and ran his lithe fingers threw his coppery strands. The Korean youth seemed stressed and frustrated at his current situation. The reason he and two of his best men were out and about had to do with incompetent rookies not bringing in their fair share.

“There's always some hot-headed asshole that will. Jung-Chul, you know that. What I want right now is for people to get shit done and stop being idiots. You think you two can do that for me?” Hwoarang replied, growling slightly as he eyed his two disciples.

Jung-Chul looked shocked by the leader's sudden abrupt and cold nature but not for long. The street demon decided it be best not to anger The Blood Talon and do as he requested.

“You know I can. No problem.” He said giving a slight nod of the head to the fiery youth stood before him.

“What about you Sang-Yun can you do that?” The Blood Talon now turned his gaze to the second street disciple. Hwoarang was not in the mood for another failure this evening and meant business.

Sang-Yun chuckled lowly, placing a hand on his hip then waggling his finger. He looked to the red haired Korean with a fond smile before approaching him slapping a hand hard on his shoulder.

“It's bad when The Blood Talon himself has to come out and teach these young bloods how it's suppose’ to be done. Anyway you know I've got you covered Hwoarang.” He laughed as Hwoarang shrugged Sang-Yun's hand off his shoulder.

“Get to work then. I'll be doing my share… we'll meet back here around 6pm. Don't be late, and you better have pockets full of cash.” The Blood Talon's orders were final as he and his soldiers began walking to separate ends of the park.

As he walked looking for a target to swindle into a fight, Hwoarang noticed a familiar silhouette sitting next to one he had never seen before. The two looked like they were having a picnic and seemed to be very comfortable with one another.

“Is that...?” The Korean Youth muttered to himself, as he made sure to be out of sight range. He watched the girl stand up and was surprised – his suspicion confirmed.

“Kazue. Who is she with?” The Blood Talon continued talking to himself aloud. He continued to watch as she began helping the guy she was with up to his feet then gathering up the blanket and basket. She smiled brightly at the guy before taking his arm and helping him walk. He seemed to walk with a limp, but was grateful for Kazue's help.

Hwoarang could feel his face heat up as his fingers unconsciously began clawing at the bark of the tree he was hidden behind. The Korean was no stranger to this feeling but he had never felt it in this situation. He felt it when seeing someone speeding down the highway on a brand new motorcycle - or when he was a child seeing children with both their parents. Yet the Blood Talon never felt it in regards to seeing a woman with another man simply because he was never with a woman he liked well enough to feel envious over.

He watched as Kazue left the park with the dark haired guy. The whole time his teeth and jaw were clinched tight with his temper flaring hotter with every moment he stood there thinking about the way she smiled at him.

“What the fuck was that about? Why am I so pissed off about it?” The red-haired rogue continued mumbling to himself, staring at his booted feet.

“씨발! (shi-bal)” The Blood Talon hissed under his breath before walking off to pick a fight, not only to release his newly acquired frustration, but also for cash.

 

* * *

 

Jin and Kazue arrived at the hotel and made their way to the suite within which they resided. As the siblings exited the elevator on the proper floor, a Tekken Force suit greeted them, sternly delivering a message from the Mishima Patriarch. The goon said their grandfather would be out for quite a while and the brother and sister were to tend to their own needs while he was away. Not to be rude, the two Kazama youths delivered the usual ‘thank you’ to the suit and made their way inside.

Jin stiffly began making his way to his quarters while the elder Kazama busied herself by tidying their current living space. The younger was tired and figured getting ready for bed would be best, but he hadn't forgotten what Kazue had said before leaving the park.

“I'll be in my room if you wish to talk about what's bothering you.” He called to his sister just before entering his room.

Kazue paused for a moment as she placed a newspaper next to a bottle of whiskey Heihachi was so fond of sat atop the island bar. What she had on her mind was something she debated on telling her brother for quite some time. She feared his response, but more than anything, she feared him becoming recklessly angry blinded by his emotion.

Yet just as her mother did before her, she wanted to prepare him in case something might happen. The older Kazama sighed heavily to herself before turning to make her way to her brother's room. Each step she took felt like she had a ball and chain dragging behind her. Another breath and her hand gently tapped on the door.

“Jin? May I enter?” She called out to her brother - her hand hovering around the door knob ready to turn.

“Yes.” Came the reply and Kazue slowly opened the door, poking her head in like she always did first. She saw her brother sitting in the bed reading a book and the sight warmed her heart, causing a small soft smile to grace her features. She remembered him reading before bed when they were children.

_**~He's always loved to read. Mother would be so happy to know he still does.~** _

“Reading I see.” Kazue said as she closed the door and made her way over to the bed - sitting herself gingerly at the corner.

Jin gave her a muffled grunt as he finished off the paragraph he was reading before marking his place and giving his full attention to his sister.

“So...” He said, looking over to his sister waiting for her to speak. Whatever she had on her mind, he wanted her to be honest: but a part of him worried about what she had to say.

“Jin... this isn't an easy thing to say and I don't know how to say it.” Kazue started, as she made sure not to make eye contact with her brother. It was hard and she didn't want to see the look on his face, it would hurt more seeing him hurting.

Jin closed his book slowly, not liking the tone in his sister's voice, it scared him and made his heart sink - but he waited.

 _“I feel as though something might happen... to me. I think Grandfather wants to 'disown' me.”_ The older Kazama continued her eyes still downcast and afraid to make contact with her brother.

There was a small moment of silence between the two siblings as they both contemplated the words just spoken. Kazue decided to look at her brother - and when she did his face was still but his eyes glimmered with fear – just like they did on that night a few years prior.

He didn't speak and he didn't want to, instead he opened his book staring at the pages for a moment.

“ _Grandfather would never do that,”_ He replied flatly, rolling his eyes slightly.

Knowing exactly what he was feeling, the older sister sighed softly as she came to a stand, her weight lifting off the bed like a feather. Her feet began to gingerly patter across the plush carpet, making slight shuffling noises - just stopping at the door.

“ _If something happens to me… you have to continue on for both mother and I.”_ Kazue said quietly with such a gentle and loving tone it pained Jin to hear it. With that, the elder Kazama left her brother's room.

Jin's eyes rolled once more before closing them. He could feel tears burning and threatening to spill forth. His mind sank into damage control: denying the words his sister had shared with him.

“He wouldn't do that.” He muttered to reassure himself.

 

 


	11. NO WAY TO SAY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I apologize for the wait! I've been having that weird thing again as I've mentioned in the notes of previous chapter. But this time around I wouldn't call it second guessing myself or losing faith in what I am doing, it's more like creative burnout. I had started working on this chapter a few weeks ago, I believe maybe a couple of days out from the last update.
> 
> I had about 400 to 600 words typed up and had to put it down simply because I felt tired and the cliche excuse of being uninspired. Which being uninspired isn't an excuse it's more of like a burnout but I think it's a more flowery way to say “I'm just creatively tired af”. If I had carried on like that I think I would have continued on which actually kind of scared me because I want to tell this story! 
> 
> Anyway, the inspiration for the title of this chapter is a Ayumi Hamasaki song but the song I listened to which helped drum up the “feels” was Undecided by DIR EN GREY. I debated on calling the chapter that but I'm not sure that would fit well so I've stuck with No Way To Say. Thanks a million to those of you patiently waiting for updates and reading this here story-ma-bob! It really gets my spirits high seeing responses and yeah it makes me smile like a goofy clown! Lol I hope you enjoy and I will see ya next update!

It had been a few days since the conversation with Jin, Kazue had tried countless times to relieve the tension between them. However, the siblings became busy with their individual endeavors - Kazue with her Zaibatsu duties and Jin with his training.

On the occasions she had a few moments spare to sit with her brother and chat, he seemed distant and sullen. She knew what he was doing and she understood exactly why he was doing it. It was a defensive measure, a shield to protect himself, whether he was using it as a blindfold or in preparation – the older sibling did not know.

The older Kazama at times began to regret her decision to utter even a single word to him about the subject but she knew it was for his own good even if he denied it. She laid in her bed in the dead of night wishing she could confide in someone about the emotions she felt clawing away at her from deep within.

Kazue looked to the bedside table, where her phone laid dormant below the sophisticated wall lamp just above. Without giving a second thought, she reached over to snatch it from the table. She immediately began texting Hwoarang, asking if he would like to meet up tomorrow for lunch since she had the day free. To her surprise, he replied rather quickly despite how late it was with a short answer...

_**Hwoarang: Sure.** _

The young woman responded giving him the time and place saying, she would see him tomorrow. She also added an extra bit in her message telling the Blood Talon she was excited to meet with him once more. Kazue waited for Hwoarang to text back, which took a while, compared to how swift his initial reply was.

_**Hwoarang: Yeah. Okay.** _

Kazue stared at the dim phone screen - her intuition telling her something was wrong, but nothing came to mind. She made sure not to offend him; she always asked questions about what was proper and what wasn't. She almost always made it a point to be polite to him and to others.

So what could be wrong? Miss Kazama replied one more time before setting the phone back down on the bedside table. The Japanese youth fluffed her pillows, settling her weary head against them, pulling her blankets up over her head, pleading for stillness from the racing thoughts so she could get some sleep.

 

* * *

  **-XxX-**

* * *

 

Kazue found herself sitting alone quietly, sipping on a lukewarm cup of coco as she waited patiently for her guest to arrive. She was beginning to think the person in question wasn't going to show up as she checked her phone to glance at the time. The young woman sighed softly as she leaned against the back of her metal chair - her face downcast and eyes gazing intently at the table's surface.

“Sorry I'm late. Had important things to sort out,” came a familiar voice that carried an aura of arrogance and cool hostility.

Kazue looked up to see the Blood Talon jerk the chair from under the table, sitting himself down. The young woman noticed that something was off and immediately thought he had a bad day or he was upset about something, but she didn't want to press the issue – hoping to try and cheer the Korean up.

“It's okay. You're here now that's all that matters right?” She laughed with a pleasant smile gracing her gentle features.

Hwoarang's eyes were icy and hard as he stared at her slowly leaning back. His eyes bore into her as his brows furrowed in the center, causing a scowl to form.

“Yeah sure. That's all that matters right?” he spoke, making no effort to hide the bitter sarcasm in the tone he was using.

Kazue's gaze fell back to the table; she was confused and had no clue where the Blood Talon's angry disposition was coming from. She tried to remember if she had said something that might have upset him the last time she had seen him - but nothing came to mind once again.

The young woman didn't want to try and pry too much in case it was something personal that had him so on edge. Out of pure concern for the red haired rogue and after several minutes of quiet deliberation - Kazue finally decided to ask if something had happened, hoping she could be of some help to him.

“Are you okay? Is something the matter?” She asked slowly and cautiously not wanting to offend the Korean.

Hwoarang scoffed and rolled his eyes, folding his lithe muscular arms across his chest. The fiery Korean rolled his neck from side to side, causing a cascade of successive audible pops to be heard as a cool chuckling smirk slowly found its way across his face. It caused such a shock to Kazue's system to see The Blood Talon staring her down like an opponent prepping for battle – as if he had the day they met, but it was much different now.

It made her heart sink to the deepest depths of her stomach, causing a wave of churning nausea rushing over her whole body. The look on his face carried a spiteful and distrusting shadow, distorting it from the friendly and smiling visage she had seen previously. It hurt to see the change and Kazue had no clue why it had changed so fast.

“You care so much don't you?” he muttered darkly his eyes still trained on her waiting for a response. He was looking for an argument, he wanted to see an emotional response from her – yet he had no clue why he felt so jilted. It confused him on such a level and that very same confusion only served to make him angrier every second he kept his eyes on the young woman across him.

He didn't want to stare at her, he hated even acknowledging her but he couldn't take his eyes away as he saw the emotional stage play being performed right before him in exquisite beauty. Her gentle face being warped by hurt, which was slowly etching its way into her entire demeanor. Her body language changed so agonizingly, yet gorgeously swift from elegant cheerfulness to stunning sorrow.

The Blood Talon felt like a masochist watching the ravishing beauty turn despondent, yet it hurt him to see it, but he wanted to see it. His eyes turned as hard as steel, his anger causing a tight knot to form in the back of his throat, but he kept his poisonous eyes on the woman before him.

“I... I don't understand what is wrong.” Kazue mumbled softly that it was almost a whisper, but the Korean had heard her. The tone was so sweetly miserable that it sent chills down his spine to hear how broken her voice had become - beautifully painful even, but the Blood Talon's bitterness won out over his rationality.

The fiery Korean youth slammed his fists on the table as he came to a brisk stand, knocking the metal chair he sat on, over – the action causing Kazue to jump slightly at how sudden his movements were.

“You don't get it do you? HELL! I DON'T GET IT MYSELF!” He replied, raising his voice slightly – anger, pain and confusion plastered across his face.

Kazue just stared back at Hwoarang, her eyes wide with surprise and shock. She shook her head trying to understand what was happening. No answers came to her, and she wanted answers. Why was he being this way? Was it her actions that caused such a response?

She only wanted a friend to confide in. What caused the nature of their friendship to change? Could she even repair it and was there a point to try?

“I'm not sure what you mean,” Her voice was still barely above a whisper, almost like an airy summer breeze delicately blowing past, carrying with it a bitter sweet melancholia.

Hwoarang's hands threaded through his fiery copper-colored hair, before grasping the strands and tugging at them out of frustration - his eyes squinting shut as he did so. He was at the edge, and he still had no understanding of all this - much like Kazue.

The Blood Talon slowly opened his eyes - they immediately fell upon the doleful yet serene vision that was Kazama Kazue. She sat in her chair with inky black strands of hair rustling in the wind’s tranquil gales, like a weeping willow.

“I have to go,” The red-haired rogue finally articulated after a short while of quietness.

Kazue gazed up at the lithe and toned Korean, her eyes shimmering as if tears threatened to flow, yet she wouldn't let them. Hwoarang towered over her - which caused the Japanese beauty to realize just how intimidating and hauntingly graceful he looked, the sun's glow radiating from behind him.

She watched as his jaw clinched and he forced his hands into the pockets of the formfitting denim jeans he wore – the look in his eyes echoing muddled feelings and vexation. Kazue sat speechless and perplexed as his back turned and the fiery Korean began walking away, his silhouette vanishing off into the distant blazing orange, rusty colored horizon.

 


	12. THE PLEDGE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright alright okay! We're closing in on some important events! 
> 
> I really wanted to put this out since I am on a creative roll! I hope that this is suitable and that those reading enjoy. This one is a long one 3,000+ words so grab a snack and a drink, play a song while you read, do what you gotta do!
> 
> As always chapter title inspiration comes from THE PLEDGE song by DIR EN GREY and I listened to it the entire time while writing this chapter. Something about this song that I like a lot and it's one of my favorites from THE MARROW OF A BONE album and most likely one of my all time favorite songs by DIR. I will also warn that there is a bit of cheese at the very end... I couldn't help it so forgive me for it! Enjoy and I'll see you next update!

 

Kazue returned to the Zaibatsu suite not too long after Hwoarang had left her sitting alone outside the cafe. She was greeted by the usual suits telling her of their grandfather's whereabouts, through clinched teeth gave her thank yous, and went inside.

She shut the door and forcefully removed her shoes before storming through the living room area of the suite - and right past her brother. Jin stood for a moment, confused, but then called out to her asking if something was wrong, but all he got in reply was the door to her quarters slamming shut.

The younger Kazama had never seen his sister act in such a way and it perplexed him watching her behavior. Then it hit him - something must have upset her deeply for her to act so troubled. He quietly made his way to her room and stood silently outside the door long enough to hear the sounds of muffled sobbing. Jin's brows furrowed and it pained him to hear her sobs. Without a second thought, he was gently tapping at her door.

“Kazue, may I come in?” Jin called softly from behind the door.

The gentle knocking caused Kazue to jump slightly, she hadn't realized Jin was there, which made her feel even worse considering she usually greeted him coming in. The young woman took a deep breath as she buried her face in the pillow she had been crying into, trying to work up courage to speak with her brother.

Kazue knew he was concerned. He must’ve seen the way she entered the suite. Coming to a stand, Kazue quickly went to her bathroom to wash her face and fix her hair before letting the younger sibling into her room.

“Are you... alright?” Jin asked as he entered the older sibling’s room. His eyes locked on, scanning her up and down looking for signs of struggle or a fight.

Kazue laughed awkwardly - the tone it carried was one of sadness as she made her way to sit back down on her bed. A deep silence fell over the room as the older sibling debated on telling Jin what happened.

“Kazue... did something happen to you today? I know you were out while Grandfather and I trained. If something happened you need to tell me so I can tell Grandfather.” Jin pleaded, the concern for his sister showing through.

An exasperated sigh left Kazue's lips as her shoulders hung low in defeat. The pessimistic thought of Mishima Heihachi defending her, causing a smirk to appear alongside a scoff. The young woman stood so she could face her brother, the expression she wore was one of exhaustion and hurt.

“It's okay Jin. I just saw something that upset me.” She replied, telling a white lie, which caused a scowl to appear on her brother's face.

He knew she wasn't telling the truth and that disappointed him. The younger sibling crossed his arms across his broad chest, signifying to the older that he wasn't going anywhere until she told him what truly happened.

Kazue's body language once again showed her exhaustion and unsettled emotional disposition. She gave in to her brother's unspoken request for the truth, thinking of a way to explain it all.

“I... I really don't know what happened.” She began, as her facial expression warped into one of pure and complete confusion.

Jin's brow raised in curiosity as she started to explain herself as he walked over to the dresser to brace himself. His ears were open and he was ready to patiently listen to the explanation of her story - no matter how long it took for her to find the words.

“I met up with him today and he was so cold. I don't know why...” The young woman continued, gazing at her brother. Jin's eyes had closed, but his brows were still raised, as if the younger sibling was intrigued and puzzled by the words that left his sister's lips.

“I assume this all hurt your feelings since you like him and whatnot,” Jin finally said, his hands coming down to brace the wooden surface of the dresser. A soft grunt slowly erupted from the younger Kazama as he thought about the situation - while his sister still looked troubled and uncertain.

“It doesn't matter anymore I suppose,” She mumbled, sitting back down on her bed, hugging herself as she did so.

Jin hated seeing his sister so despondent and defeated, considering how happy she was just days before speaking of Hwoarang while they were at the park together. It didn't help that he had not one clue about how to comfort his sister on the matter either – so he stood silently hoping his presence would console her in some way.

“Jin... Just keep this to yourself okay? Just between us,” Kazue requested - her voice back to a broken whisper, that whispering voice hitting back hard the conversation the two had prior about their grandfather.

The younger sibling was sure his elder didn't mean for it to, but it did remind him of what she had spoken to him about, causing a physical and internal wince to cascade over his body.

“I won't speak of it to anyone.” He replied softly before sighing making his way to exit the room. He could tell that Kazue wanted some time alone to decompress and relax before their grandfather came home for dinner.

“If you need me I'll be in my room. Just knock alright?” The younger sibling offered, placing his hand on the knob before turning it.

Kazue smiled at Jin, nodding her understanding and acceptance of the offer before he exited, leaving her alone with her thoughts and memories.

 

* * *

 

Hwoarang sat at a bar with a cool beer in hand as he rotated the sweating bottle, watching the golden liquid swirl and slosh around inside. The Blood Talon wasn't one for deep thought - yet here he was at his favorite watering hole contemplating his actions.

The bar tender cracked jokes about how pensive the red-haired Korean looked - staring down a bottle of his favorite booze, which caused crooked half smiles and low chuckles from the rogue. It was uncomfortable to know that the people around him noticed his behavior, but the nagging sensation in the back of his mind still caused him to withdraw from the festivities around him.

Sang-Yun and Jung-Chul had each left him behind to chat up two flirty and scantily clad women after Hwoarang rejected the advances from their friend – which resulted in her muttering some insult under her breath as she walked away.

“So what's got you so down bud?” The bartender asked, standing behind the counter setting a glass down to dry.

Hwoarang's eyes were still on the green glass bottle as he pulled it to his lips, taking a quick sip before answering the proposed question.

“It's nothing really, except I think I might have made a mistake I will regret at some point down the road.” The Blood Talon replied absently, running his supple fingers down the neck of the bottle, causing droplets of water to run down it.

The bartender grunted as he placed his hands on the bar, leaning down so he could be at eye level with the fiery patron of his establishment. He had never seen the Korean youth like this before - let alone hear him utter the words mistake and regret.

“Well the only thing I can tell you to do is try to fix whatever mistake you made. If it can be fixed that is, never hurts to try though.” the feedback the bartender offered surprised the fiery rogue but he was appreciative of the advice.

Hwoarang looked at the man - giving a subtle nod of thanks as he went back to doing his job of pouring libations for patrons, and yelling out orders to security to kick out the drunken riff raff. The Blood Talon decided on fixing the mistake, trying to salvage what he might very well have destroyed as he shoved a hand into his pocket to grab his phone.

Coming to a stand, the Korean youth began seeking out a quiet place without any racket so he could have privacy while making his phone call. He found a nice corner in the back with a pool table that was far enough away from the noise, giving him just enough separation to make a call, swiftly flipping through his contacts finding the name he was looking for. Hitting the button, the Blood Talon waited hoping there would be an answer.

One ring, two rings, three rings and Hwoarang was beginning to think the damage was severe enough that there was no hope in fixing anything – but after the fourth ring there came a soft voice, one he was so thankful for that it held its own resounding weight.

“ _ **Hello.”**_

“Ka... Kazue? It's Hwoarang.” The Blood Talon replied, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He waited for her response, contemplating making his case, but she interrupted him.

“ _ **Why are you calling me? I really can't talk right now,”**_ came the young woman's voice in a hushed whisper, almost as if she were trying to hide the fact she was on the phone with someone.

This piqued Hwoarang's curiosity and almost re-lit the flames of anger that had finally died down – but the Blood Talon kept his cool. What was important now was trying to fix the friendship the two had.

“I know, I know. Listen uh... You think you have time tomorrow to meet up with me? I... I mean I know how I acted might make you not want to meet up with me, but I really need to,” the Korean rogue appealed to the young woman on the other end of the receiver.

“ _ **No.”**_ Kazue retorted, proving to Hwoarang her emotional wounds were still raw and fresh.

The redhead sighed, searching for the words to articulate how sincere he was, but nothing helped him formulate and verbalize his feelings. After a sort pause, he began stuttering to try to keep her on the line until something came to mind.

“I know, but I'm asking you to come out… please? I really need to say this to you in person I don't want this to be over the phone. I'll feel better if I say it to you in person,” he countered, hoping she would be merciful enough to accept.

There was a small moment of silence before a sigh could be heard, and then the whispering voice followed, muttering a confirmation.

“Oh thank god,” Hwoarang exhaled with relief, the hand that was in his hair cradling his forehead, “Same place around noon. Is that okay?”

Another soft hum from Kazue agreeing to see the Blood Talon echoed throughout his mind, sending slight pings of hope along with it shooting straight to his chest. He was relieved that she accepted his offer to meet up again, after what had happened. Nevertheless, he really felt the need to set things right, even if he had no clue what caused him to lash out in such a way, or wanted to admit to himself why.

The two exchanged goodbyes and hung up, the rogue making his way back to his deserted bar stool, snatching up his beer taking another swig before discarding it. He caught eye contact with the bartender and nodded to him before leaving.

 

* * *

 

This time around, it was Hwoarang's turn to sit and wait, which he felt quite deserving of considering everything that had happened prior. He leaned back against the metal seat, legs spread with one foot resting atop a vacant chair – the other tapping rapidly on the concrete bellow, while chewing nervously on a wooden toothpick.

The rogue had no idea how he was going to explain himself, but apologizing seemed like a good place to start off with. Finding the words to even begin to make amends seemed like a daunting task by itself alone - including how vexed and muddled up his own emotions were. All he could do was hope he didn't make things a lot worse.

“Okay. I'm here what is it you’d like to discuss?” Kazue requested cordially, her voice seemed to startle the Korean man before her - not realizing that she had arrived. She decided to remain standing, with her posture straight, her demeanor hadn't relaxed fully since she came directly from a meeting.

Hwoarang looked up at her with wide alarmed eyes; he hadn't even noticed her approaching, let alone heard her approach. She was dressed as if she had just came from her job and didn't have enough time to change into casual attire.

He couldn't help but stare at the black fitted blazer with a white pressed blouse peeking from behind, and the pencil skirt she wore that rested slightly below her knees. The Blood Talon took note of the black heels she wore, the neat yet youthful ponytail her hair was in, and the bag that she held with both hands in front of her.

“I... I didn't see you. Why don't you sit?” The Blood Talon asked, trying his best to be polite but finding his attempt awkward.

Kazue continued to stand, more out of preparation in case things didn't go well. The last thing she wanted was to end up left sitting alone after being rejected, she wanted the luxury of walking away and not being walked away from this time.

“I'm fine. Thank you.” She replied, keeping her tone even not giving away anything more than her professionalism.

The Korean youth sighed, giving up on offering her a seat and turning his focus on what he had asked her to come out for. Clearing his throat and fiddling with the toothpick he had been gnawing on absently which was now in his hands – he began formulating what he wanted to say.

“Listen, I'm not good at things like this. I never really have been, and I find it frustrating at times because I'm not...” Hwoarang began, while Kazue listened quietly and intently to his thoughts.

“I know how I acted wasn't... It wasn't okay, alright? I acted like a jackass and I shouldn't have. Thing is Kazue...” The red-haired rogue paused for a moment, trying to get his words in order, searching for the best way to address his feelings.

The Korean tapped his fingers against the surface of the table, debating with himself internally if he really wanted to acknowledge the way he felt.

“Thing is I really find myself fond of you. Take it how you want or don't take it at all, but I like having you around. I like spending time with you.” The Blood Talon decided to blurt it out, relinquishing his self-control, yet saying it in a way that didn't actually reveal what was really going on deep within.

Kazue found herself surprised by the Korean's admission and wasn't sure how to let it sink in – even though he had apologized in a roundabout way, it still didn't answer the question of why.

“Why then? Why act the way you did?” She probed in a stern tone, maybe more cold and steely than she meant for it to be.

The Blood Talon sat up straightening his posture while rolling his neck side-to-side, relieving tension that had built up there. He knew she would ask why and it was in her right to do so, but explaining it would be even more uncomfortable than what he just said.

“I saw you at the park. You were with some dark haired guy. You two looked pretty chummy as well. I guess I got... I don't know… agitated seeing you smiling at him,” the rogue replied, making sure to turn his gaze away from the Japanese beauty standing before him.

A smile spread across Kazue's face slowly before erupting in laughter. She couldn't believe what the Blood Talon had just said. All she could do was laugh. Hwoarang looked at Kazue with a confused expression, which was slightly starting to turn into anger as she continued.

“Why are you laughing?” He asked, his voice full of displeasure and growing annoyance. He was beginning to regret calling her and arranging this meeting just so she could laugh at him and his confession.

“Because Hwoarang...” She started, trying to calm herself down enough to speak and answer his question, “I was with my brother at the park. The dark haired guy was my brother.”

Just like that, the red haired Korean felt the blood run from his face taking his heart with it down to the depths below. He closed his eyes as he mentally shouted at himself about how much of an idiot he was.

The Blood Talon placed his head in his hands as he began chuckling himself more out of sarcastic irony than out of joy or finding the situation funny.

“It's okay you know. I understand. You haven't seen my brother before and it's fine to feel the way you felt,” Kazue said, trying to comfort the Korean youth placing a gentle hand on his back. Hwoarang was pleasantly surprised when he felt the weight of her hand resting softly against his back, it almost felt like mellow electricity washing over him with a tame, soothing heat.

“Okay. So now, I know that he's your bother. Makes me feel slightly better.” He scoffed, as he leaned back, and Kazue finally took a seat in the chair beside him. She gazed at him with such compassionate eyes it startled the Korean to see how intense it was, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly as they made eye contact.

“You could have just asked me instead of being rude to me, but I understand now, and I forgive you Hwoarang,” the young woman’s smile brightened happily, realizing it was all a misunderstanding between the two friends.

The Korean rogue nodded his head, grunting slightly before speaking up once again to say something that had been on his mind since their day out at the arcade.

“Kazue, I'm not the honorable type, but if you ever need anything, if you ever need my help or anything of that sort... I'm here for you. Just call me and I'll be there,” He spoke, finding it much easier to put into words than anything else he had tried to explain beforehand.

Kazue felt moved by Hwoarang's proposal, to know someone cared for her so strongly that they’d give her assistance, other than her brother, was something that touched her deeply. She could feel her eyes beginning to well up, but quickly blinked the tears away in favor of returning her gratitude with another bright smile.

“Consider it a pledge,” Hwoarang continued, returning her smile with a wry grin of his own.

 


	13. KARMA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Another update and I'm feeling like I am on a roll! Almost like I caught my second wind or maybe it's hype for the upcoming events. I've just finished outlining the rest of the story chapters and I'm feeling quite proud of myself.
> 
> I also have something to explain first, I took a bit of creative liberty with Hwoarang and his back story. This idea was sparked by one of my favorite fics The Quality of the Sword by xMMishimax. The bit about Hwoarang not really being his real name but yet another alias. I also took a bit of liberty with his relationship with Baek, you'll see what I mean. Hopefully it goes down well cause I quite like it.
> 
> I've also folded in some lore from the most recent game to be released in 4 days and some lore from the second game.  
> As per usual this chapters title comes from yet another DIR EN GREY song, KARMA. I listened to the re-recorded version off the album UNRAVELING. I felt the title alone suited this chapter in a way, a very ironic and sad way. I hope those reading enjoy and I will see you next update! ^_^

 

The Mishima Patriarch seated himself stiffly atop the leather couch in the palatial hotel suite that currently functioned as his family's home away from home. His grandchildren having left to go take a walk in the park nearby, leaving the old man alone. Mishima Heihachi waited patiently for one of his minions to arrive, sipping slowly on a glass of whiskey, licking his lips absently after each taste of the brown liquid.

The elder had two of his best men follow the Kazama siblings on their current outing and he was waiting on reports of Kazue's activities since their arrival in South Korea. He kept his eyes intently on Jin personally - but Kazue was a tricky one to observe. She had a knack for wondering off alone, her yearnings of wanting more always winning out over obedience - unlike Jin who always stayed close and did as he was told.

Nevertheless, the patriarch had his men follow her movements once she left the suite every time she went out. Back home in Japan he never found the need to have his underlings follow her, but since they were away on Zaibatsu business and knowing Kazue's constant need for freedom, now provided an opportunity he could not refuse.

She always made it hard for him to sink his teeth deeper into the younger one, her influence and presence was very much like the one their mother had on his own son – their father Kazuya. The thought of Kazama Jun made his weathered face warp into one of pure disgust and hatred.

He always detestedreflecting on the moment of his son's defeat by his very hands, solely because of the weakness that festered inside in him like an infected wound, oozing puss and bile. Kazuya tried fervently to crush the old man, as he said he would in a note he had written to his father when his was just a boy. Yet the fool had resorted to using that god-forsaken power of his, the abomination he inherited from his mother; and even that couldn't save him from Mishima Heihachi.

The battle was won by the father and Heihachi carried off his son's limp _broken_ body and boarded a Zaibatsu chopper, ordered the pilot to fly over a mouth of a volcano and dropped his son into the scorching hot river of bubbling hellfire below.

The Mishima Elder took another quick sip of the burning brown liquid as an unforgiving grin graced his aged face at the thought of Kazuya's body burning into nothingness in the fiery magma.

A knock at the suite's door forced Mishima Heihachi to retreat from his thoughts and tell the Tekken Force operative to enter.

The underling entered swiftly, rushing over to stand directly in front of his boss, bowing deeply before rising to salute the Zaibatsu head. Heihachi looked at the man with disinterest - his mind was instead on his desire to hear what the goon had to report to him so he could set his plan into motion.

“Well, what has she been doing?” the Mishima Elder grunted folding his arms across his chest awaiting the suit's response.

Bowing again nervously before answering his superior, the Tekken Force operative began his long-winded speech, reporting every single little detail of Kazue's comings and goings since their arrival in South Korea.

“She's been seeing a man roughly around the age of your grandson; he apparently goes by two aliases, those being Hwoarang and The Blood Talon. He is also a leader of a street gang who instigates fights for money. His real name I've had trouble finding traces of, but I did find records at a hospital of a Baek Seung-Hwa,” The flunkey informed, pausing a moment to take a quick breath before continuing.

The Mishima patriarch sat rigid as he listened to the hired hand relaying information and found himself more than intrigued by what he was hearing. A slight satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, the proud Mishima lavishing and enjoying the idea that the older Kazama child made his plans even easier for him to execute.

“After finding his real name my team and I did more digging around, and found that he was the student and adopted son of Baek Doo-San. Baek Doo-San also competed in the sec...”

Heihachi raised his hand to silence the lackey; the elder Mishima's face showed a calm yet malevolent intent as he adjusted his white slacks so he could sit up properly, being mindful to not cause damage to the garment. The Mishima Patriarch situated his suit vest by unbuttoning it, allowing himself to have more freedom of movement without the fabric restricting him, before setting his now empty glass on the elegant black wooden table across him - the proud tiger smirked at the young subordinate reporting in.

“Baek Doo-San was in the second King of Iron Fist Tournament twenty years ago. He, Bruce Irvin, Ganryu and my adopted son Lee Chaolan sided with Kazuya while he was head of the Zaibatsu. In that regard I know Baek very well.” Heihachi said in a cruel yet even tone. His intentions were clear and he was ready to begin - the Mishima Elder had all he needed to deem Kazue expendable.

“Sir? What do you recommend doing?” The goon questioned his superior as he saluted when Heihachi stood, walking over to the bar where a crystal bottle filled with whiskey was perched. Filling his glass half full, Mishima Heihachi turned to the young operative and smiled darkly.

“We find this gang of Baek's _son_ and we wager a fight, I'll make sure both Kazue and Jin are in attendance. They can both fight this Blood Talon and if Kazue loses...” Heihachi paused as another cruel wry smirk slithered and twisted his wrinkled face, accompanied by a low, dark and deadly chuckle before sipping on his newly poured libation.

The young Tekken Force suit shivered slightly as he heard the chuckle coming from the Mishima Patriarch. Its sound was ominous and foreboding, like a beacon of doom and destruction - a herald of death and decay, anguish and damnation.

The young man quietly began questioning himself as to why he took on this kind of job for a man so callous and ruthless, but he knew if he were to turn on the Zaibatsu CEO now it wouldn't bode well for him or his family.

“Sir, I could find out the places the gang are most likely to frequent and we can plan accordingly.” The subordinate suggested to Heihachi, keeping his posture as stiff and straight as possible until his back began aching dully.

Heihachi paced in front of the mini bar, deep in thought as the brown liquid sloshed in its crystal vessel, almost threatening to spill from the rim if the old man turned on his heel suddenly. This was his chance to rid himself and Jin of that girl's constant and unyielding benevolent influence, his chance to make Jin into hardened molten steel - a true heir to the Mishima legacy.

“Find their stomping grounds, locate EXACTLY where they'll be and tomorrow I'll have a day out with my cubs.” Heihachi growled lowly, that same cruel smirk ghosting ever so slightly across his aged visage, his face half masked in shadow.

The subordinate shuddered once more before bowing deeply then rising to salute his superior, fear quietly bubbling steadily in his stomach as he stole a gaze at the Mishima Elder who stood contemplating and calculating - becoming the very definition of iron-fisted, cutthroat and compassionless evil.

“Yes sir!” He answered quickly, turning on his heel and leaving the Zaibatsu CEO alone to conspire and formulate his plan of action - what it was exactly, the Tekken Force suit had no desire or will to be privy.

 


	14. DANMED

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a long wait caused by me being distracted by two games, Final Fantasy XV and the release of Tekken 7, I present to you this lovely chapter! I'm sorry for the long span of time between last chapter and this chapter but I hope this is worth the wait!  
> As per the usual, the chapter title comes from a song by the band D'espairsRay! The music listened to while writing the chapter believe it or not, was the HiGH & LOW Original Best Soundtrack. Music is hype af and helped me with the fight scenes.  
> I hope this chapter is to your liking and thanks to those who have kept up with this little pet project and have gave kudos it really means a lot to me! Thank you so much!
> 
> ALSO! There's a bit describing Kazue's stance. Imagine it as a weird combination of Kazuya's stance with his open hand in front of him and Jun's old stance from Tekken 2, which is now Asuka's stance.

 

 

The Kazama Siblings rode in the limo with their grandfather in silence as the Zaibatsu motorcade swiftly began to make its way through the brightly lit Seoul city Streets. Mishima Heihachi and his wards were leaving a gala arranged by the President of South Korea, the guest list featuring a who's who of political, business, criminal and entertainment figures.

Of course, the proud Mishima tiger was there to rub elbows with not only South Korea's commander-in-chef but with anyone who could potentially aid the scheming patriarch with his endeavors. During the whole gala, the Kazama Siblings sat at the Zaibatsu's assigned table silently picking at the gourmet food on their plates. Occasionally someone would approach Jin to speak with him about his plans for the upcoming yet unannounced King of Iron Fist Tournament - and how his training was going.

Every so often attractive women in tight fitting dresses, some sequenced others in solid colors, would approach the aloof younger Kazama and then quickly leave as fast as they came once he didn't respond to their flirtatious advances. Kazue sat beside him, largely ignored and for that, she was indeed grateful. She despised events like these and she was positive her brother did as well, yet he seemed to handle it with much more grace than she could.

There had been a couple of times where the older Kazama had to excuse herself and take refuge in the ladies restroom just to have a few moments on her own and gather her thoughts, keep her wits about her. When it came time to leave, both Jin and Kazue were more than eager to climb into the limo that awaited them and head back to their suite.

As the motorcade speed along, Heihachi's thunderous laughter erupted - all but shattering the quiet revelry in the vehicle.

“Driver stop here! There's something I wish to grab before we head back to the hotel,” He called, tapping the darkened glass. The siblings heard their escort informing the others in their entourage over headset to pull over.

“Grandfather what’s so intriguing in this area?” Jin questioned, wondering what in the world had caught the old man's attention down a dark and dingy alley, rats scurrying to and from its shadows.

Again, the Elder Mishima's boisterous laugh echoed loudly in the car as he placed his hands atop his knees, the limo door opened by one for the Tekken Force Suits.

“There's a noodle shop down the back end of this alley. Normally I don't think much of Korean food, but this particular shop has noodles that are to my liking,” The Mishima Patriarch replied, seeming a bit more sinister than he meant to be, causing Kazue to shiver and Jin to frown - not fully understanding his grandfather's current mood. “Come let us have a bowl before we head back.”

Nonetheless, the Kazama siblings followed their caretaker, not wanting to anger him as he exited the car. They were followed closely by a small army of Tekken Force Suits as they began their trek down the alley’s grimy alcoves. The Zaibatsu entourage cautiously and steadily making their way down the dingy narrow streets, passing several small doors with various shady occupants. Some were men offering a dizzying variety of illegal drugs and others were scantily clad women promising a good time for a price.

Kazue and Jin both began to feel increasingly uncomfortable, as they had to stop in front of a couple having a domestic dispute. Right before Heihachi and his cubs, the man backhanded his girlfriend viciously, violently jerking her up from the ground so the entourage could continue onward.

The group came upon an open lot in the back that seemed to be serving as a makeshift arena for street fights – a battle already well underway. There were several men in business suits cheering on their colleague with fists full of bills he as struggled to stand against a whirling flurry of lightning fast kicks. When the business man thought he could counter his opponent he ended up creating an opening for said foe to exploit - sending a thrust kick straight to the man’s gut, knocking him to the floor and taking his breath with it.

“Looks like I won boys! Cough up the cash.” When Kazue heard the man speak her eyes went wide with uncontrollable fear. She knew exactly whom the voice belonged to, Hwoarang.

“So who's the man who runs the show? The Blood Talon is it?” The Mishima Elder spoke up - eyeing the red haired rogue as he and his gang gathered the cash from the losers.

Hwoarang spat on the ground, then with the back of his hand, wiped blood that was trickling down his chin. Smirking, he sauntered over to stand just a few feet away from Heihachi.

“That would be me old man. Think you can go toe to toe with someone much younger and more flexible? Wouldn't want you to shatter and turn to dust on me.” The Blood Talon scoffed as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

Heihachi's laughter filled the damp dirty street, reverberating off the brick walls before he turned his narrowed eyes upon the Korean upstart, smirking mercilessly.

“I won't be going toe to toe with you… but I've got two who will. I'll even put a nice hefty sum on both, of course that is if you defeat them,” The arrogant old man replied, issuing the throw-down which Hwoarang was all too eager to accept.

“Alright old man, show me who you got that you think can best the Blood Talon.” The Korean thug smirked once more, tilting his head to the side as he stared down the Zaibatsu entourage.

Heihachi's grin turned into a malevolent smile as he stepped aside to reveal Kazue and Jin to their new opponent. Hwoarang's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Kazue standing beside who he assumed was her brother. He only caught a glimpse of him from behind that day in the park, but now, seeing him in person up-close, the Korean could tell she and him were family.

The Blood Talon couldn't help but notice Kazue's head was downcast staring at the filthy, stained ground below. Her posture was one of fear and hurt, while her brother was the opposite, his posture stiff and confident, all while his eyes carried a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

“Kazue, I think it's high time you show me how much of a Mishima you truly are.” Heihachi's gaze turned onto his granddaughter, the glare showing just how contempt held for her.

“Grandfather… I don't think that's fai...” Jin began but was silenced by a single wave of the Mishima Patriarch's hand.

His eyes still bore into Kazue, smiling when she finally lifted her head to look at her opponent. Her eyes held a million emotions that spiraled and swirled within. A silent plea of forgiveness sparkling as she took her stance, hoping the fiery Korean would see and understand.

Hwoarang stared back, a slight twist of pity showing in his amber orbs. He could see how torn she was, how much she didn't want to do what her grandfather was making her do – and her silent plea asking him to forgive her.

He took up his stance with his gaze focused upon Kazue, beaming with reassurance - a quick nod to let her know it was okay. He wouldn’t hold onto any hard feelings – not now and not in the future.

“Well well now! It's not every day I get to fight a drop dead gorgeous babe. I think I'll enjoy this.” The Korean Rogue called out, playing up the crowd with his cocky swagger. He still held Kazue's eyes, the stare reflecting from them differing greatly from the words that spewed from his mouth.

Even though Kazue could see in the red head's eyes, that he did not mean what he had said – the blunt implied vulgarities made her wince a bit as they fell from his dry, cracked lips. Not sure what to do, the young lady made the first attempt at a strike, which the Blood Talon swiftly avoided by stepping to his side.

She was completely unprepared for this - knowing that if she didn't focus the aftermath of her failure would not be pretty. Thinking quick and hearing the fiery youth's feet shuffle towards her, Kazue decided to go low with a sweeping kick hoping to knock the Korean off his dangerous and deadly legs. It was unconventional and completely improvised, a move from neither Mishima Ryu nor Kazama Style. The older sibling's back faced the red-haired rogue as she crouched down and swung her right leg behind, praying to the gods it would connect.

Hearing the Korean's back hit the concrete with a thick thud and a pain-filled grunt, the Kazama stood and turned to face her friend turned opponent.

Hwoarang chuckled, admiring her impromptu and off the cuff offensive counter sweep. Not many would act purely based on instinct - especially if they were in a panic with their back facing their foe. It also made The Blood Talon painfully aware of just how nervous and fearful she truly was. He slowly got to his feet, keeping his eyes on the Japanese beauty before him, amber orbs still conveying a hidden message of ‘fight me it's okay’.

Jin stood in pure silence as Heihachi roared loudly with laughter, the younger Kazama crossing his arms over his chest with narrowed eyes as his grandfather sang false praise for his sister.

This whole fight wasn't sitting well with Kazama Jin - and he did not like the look she was giving the red haired youth because he knew that look all too well. She would give that look whenever Heihachi forced them into brutal sparring sessions, her gaze often conveying her feelings of remorse. As quickly as Jin recognized what Kazue was trying to communicate with her opponent, it dawned on him that the man she was fighting was the very same person she spoke about at the park.

The youngest Kazama found himself questioning their grandfather's reasoning for initiating the street brawl with hefty wager attached, it reeked of premeditated motives - as if he had planned this whole thing before they even arrived at the gala.

_~But why? Why do this?~_ Jin quietly wondered to himself, keeping eagle eyes on his sister, praying for her victory.

Hwoarang found his foot crashing into Kazue's stomach and immediately winced when he heard her groans of pain. He caught a quick glimmer of her falling to her knees, gasping for breath, making sure to turn his back as fast as he could to shield himself from the sight. This was proving more painful than he thought and Kazue was clearly distracted and not fighting at her best. The Blood Talon could have a mean streak but tonight wasn't a night where that side of him was on full display.

Kazue held onto her stomach with one hand coughing, gasping for breath while the other braced against the concrete. The older Kazama found herself cursing the world and her existence – this wasn't what she wanted at all. She was beginning to become angry as her fingers began clawing at the dirty ground, and behind her all she heard ringing in her ears was Mishima Heihachi's roaring laughter.

“Come now Kazue! You can do better against this street trash!” Heihachi taunted loudly, earning a glare from the younger Kazama standing at his side.

Hwoarang turned around to face the Japanese woman; poker face fully restored staring down at her. He placed a hand on his hip, cracking his neck to the left side then to the right, his gaze as cold as steal in an attempt to hide his own conflicting feelings.

“Get up. Fight. It's do or die,” Hwoarang spoke in a low, deep tone – one that was serious yet almost emotionless.

Kazue looked up at the Korean rogue, seeing the darkened facial expression he wore, his amber orbs shimmering slightly, trying to conceal emotions that were at odds with the position he was in.

The Japanese beauty didn't want to stand up and fight, the urge to roll over and give up was strong and the Blood Talon picked up on this as his face twisted into a disapproving sneer.

“GET UP AND FIGHT!” He called out with all of his fire. However, hidden behind that roar was a wounded lion. His battle cry sounded more like a plea than a demand to Kazue.

She slowly began to rise to her feet as tears threatened to spill forth and blur her vision. The fiery Korean took his stance again, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet while Kazue took hers, placing a hand directly in front of her, open in a relaxed fashion while the other was down slightly in front of her hip, fingers fanned out ready to grab if need be.

Without further thought, Kazue charged forward with a shout, hoping to hit with a brutal uppercut, but Hwoarang side stepped and countered with a grab. He held her arm with his foot placed dangerously at the crook of her neck ready to snap it but instead he released her and fell back into stance.

The Blood Talon's thoughts began to come to the conclusion that a swift knockout would be the best option - he wanted to put the Kazama out of her misery. He had a nagging feeling twisting in the pit of his stomach that they were both in turmoil over this – the fight needed to end.

Making his decision quietly to himself, the Korean rogue prepared himself for the take down as Kazue came in for another attack. In a flash Hwoarang's upturned palm lashed out, hitting the Japanese woman in the neck, causing her to stagger back while crouching slightly, bringing his leg up in line with his torso and swiftly commanding it to crash down against the back of her head.

The Blood Talon stepped back, his normally prideful and cocky demeanor gone - a grim forlorn expression taking its place instead. His posture felt different too, far more careful.

He stared at Kazue's unconscious body laying face down on the concrete and the youth felt disgusted at what he had to do. His molten amber orbs met the mercilessly cold iron-fisted eyes of Mishima Heihachi as the man signaled for his suits to grab Kazue.

They were rough with her and Hwoarang found himself wanting to beat every single one of them into a bloody pulp for their manhandling of the Kazama beauty.

“Well looks like you've won this match but will you win the second?” The Elder Mishima challenged the Korean rogue, placing a heavy hand on Kazama Jin.

Jin stood stone still, eyes downcast, wearing a rather intense frown, accompanied by tightly clamped fists shaking at his sides. He was convinced now more than ever, that Heihachi had planned this whole thing out - but the question that remained was why. Or maybe Jin knew exactly why but did his best to keep that thought from his mind.

“Jin! My boy! Show this filth the true power of the Mishima Bloodline!” Heihachi bellowed, easing the Japanese youth forward as if he were leading him to his destiny.

Hwoarang's face once again twisted into a sneer, one filled of contempt and disgust. Rage filled within the Korean as Kazue's brother was beckoned forth to fight him. Even though he had no clue what Jin was about, he wanted to lash out at him for not stepping in and helping his sister. The Korean rogue kept his mouth shut as he took up stance after spitting at the ground.

“So you're here to do grandpa's bidding, pretty boy? Why didn't you help your sister eh? She could have used your help… or were you too afraid of granddad's punishment?” Hwoarang barked, his voice dripping in poisonous venom, showing he was ready to cause the younger Kazama a world full of pain.

Jin looked up at the Korean with narrowed eyes as he fell into stance himself. Kazue said he was rather abrasive and rude, but for the rogue to accuse him of something without knowing one thing about him really was taking it too far.

“You have no clue do you?” He mumbled in a low voice before charging at the red-haired Korean.

Hwoarang cackled as he dashed backward to dodge the incoming punches from Jin, swiftly countering with a low sweep, hoping to knock him flat on his back. Knowing exactly what the Korean Rogue would do, Jin jumped to avoid the sweeping kick, sending a downward strike aimed right for the head.

Hwoarang found himself temporally blinded from the punch, quickly rolling to the side in an attempt to escape whatever attack the younger Kazama decided to follow up with.

“You son of a bitch!” the fiery Korean growled, trying to right his vision as he heard heavy footfalls coming in his direction.

Jin scoffed as he approached The Blood Talon, reaching down to grab his open dobok and pulling him to his feet, fist primed ready for attack.

The Japanese youth stared at Hwoarang intently and in turn so did the redhead, his vision now returning, amber eyes filled with blooming hatred and anger of which Jin understood.

Maybe he should have intervened before Heihachi made Kazue fight the Korean knowing, especially seeing how much it hurt his sister to do it. Judging by the Korean's contempt, Jin reasoned he must have felt the same way, but tried to hide it to protect Kazue.

“You care don't you?” Kazama Jin mumbled, closely and quietly enough for only Hwoarang to hear.

The red haired rogue's brow rose in curiosity at Jin's choice of words before he gripped his the man's wrist, yanking it away from his dobok.

“She told you about me eh? Tch. You knew and you still did nothing!” The Korean growled back at him before sucker punching Jin out of pure rage and disgust. The younger Kazama stumbled back, hand firmly holding his temple as The Blood Talon stalked him like a hawk on the hunt.

He grabbed Jin by the shoulders and proceeded to viciously knee the youth in the stomach until he was satisfied he had caused enough pain to the pompous rich boy, dropping him like he was garbage to the ground below.

Gasping for breath, anger building at a rapid pace, Jin got to his feet to see Hwoarang's back turned as he walked away from him. Steadying himself, Kazama Jin placed a well-timed punch to the small of the rogue's back then another one to the back of the head causing the Korean to fall forward. Once the Blood Talon was on the ground, Jin sent a calculating flurry of kicks to the red head's ribs – not stopping until he heard them crack and the Korean howl in pain.

Thinking as quick as he could through the blows and heavy fog of pain, Hwoarang rolled away from Jin and his blind fury-filled strikes. Climbing to his knees, the Blood Talon sent a thrusting punch directed at the Kazama's gut hoping to knock the wind out of him.

Heihachi stood quietly watching the two youths battle it out in such a savage fashion that he actually thought about ending the match before they killed each other. He looked over at the gang, making eye contacted with Jung-Chul who immediately knew what the old man was thinking. Neither one wanted to lose their best men and both began to make moves to separate the two.

“Jung-Chul! What the hell!!” Hwoarang shouted as he was pulled away trying to break the hold his soldier had on him, but was too exhausted, the last of his strength leaving him after trading blows with Jin.

Heihachi sent two of the Tekken Force suits to escort Jin back to the limo while a third kept a still unconscious Kazue slung over his shoulder.

“Let's call this a draw Blood Talon. I can't have you beating my heir to death can I?” Mishima Heihachi chuckled menacingly before turning on his heel, leaving the dirty alley and cursing Hwoarang behind.

 


	15. THE UNRAVELING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! How's it going? Long time no see right? I'll explain if you'll lend me a moment. This is the chapter that caused the rating to go up from T to M (or if your reading on AO3 is the reason for the M) and it was also a pre-written chapter back in my brainstorming phase. As you can imagine this took quite a bit of time to tweak, fix, proof, and polish. I had a lot of things to remove and add, some plot details that had to be completely re-written because it didn't match with the current canon that is established with the story (hurr-hurr). 
> 
> I passed it off to my lovely lad CrystalMoonlightI to proof. Let me just take a moment to praise and gush about the bae, he has been such a sweetie lump to offer his help with this I can't thank him enough. Smooches and a entire wave of apologies to him because this chapter took the both of us to read and proof together.
> 
> I also shall apologize to you guys because this one is a long one. I try to keep chapters between 1,000 to 4,000 words max. When I first uploaded the Raison D'etre chapter it was a huge one which I decided later on the break up and split into two parts. Since then I've been mindful to cap my words.
> 
> Anyway on to the usual spiel (finally), chapter title is a from a DIR EN GREY song which is actually just titled Unraveling but I went with the album title that the song was on. As always the title was the prompt for this chapter and its theme. I also find the MV to be fitting in a way, if you haven't seen it check it out. Also ummm... tissues. Get some tissues and a snack cause you'll need the comfort food. Okay! Uh enjoy? I guess?
> 
> OH! Before I forget I want to take a moment here to thank all of those who leave reviews/comments/kudos, I can't tell you how much that means to me and gives me such happy flutters! Just big thanks to you awesome peoples! 
> 
> I'm on deviantArt (I try my best to post status updates there of my progress maybe even previews in journals) and Fanfiction.Net, I also have a twitter now that I will try my best to remember to post a link to updates once they go up. So if you are on there or the other sites feel free to follow/watch me if you want. Which ever one is your jam! ^_^
> 
> FFNet - TsukiyoSpelldust  
> dA - TsukiyoSpelldust  
> Twitter - @xstarlighthalo

 

 

 

 

The two Kazama siblings were summoned to the dojo to meet with their paternal grandfather following the street fight with the Korean gang. Both brother and sister had a strong feeling that the elder Mishima was not pleased with the outcome.

Kazue was almost certain that Heihachi was more disappointed in her than in Jin. The young woman assumed that her reason for thinking as such was that Jin had fought to a draw rather than losing all together - yet they were both nervous. The siblings knew that when their grandfather would summon them to the dojo it meant one of two things - a rigorous training session or brutal punishment for failure.

The brother and sister silently entered the dojo and respectfully sat on their knees with heads bowed showing their remorse. At first, the elder Mishima's back was to the pair, but after a few short moments of silence, he turned around to face them both.

“I assume the two of you know why you are here,” The Elder said in a low growl, with arms folded over his enormous chest.

The siblings nodded in reply - making sure to avoid direct eye contact with the Mishima Patriarch. Heihachi glared venomous daggers and the siblings could feel the stare burning into their skin like acid.

“I’m not so angry with you Jin since you fought to a draw, meaning none of the wages were lost, However I’m not so pleased with your sister,” The Elder began, pacing back and forth in front of his wards.

“If I may grandfather, Kazue was under stress with everything going on at the Zaibatsu. Please consider her mental and physical well-being,” Jin asked politely while bowing deeply to their grandfather, with palms flat on the wooden floor - his forehead resting atop his hands.

Heihachi stopped his pacing and stared directly at the back of Jin’s head - then turned his disdainful glare to Kazue who dared to glance quickly at her grandfather. The young woman soon came to regret the decision to sneak a peek at the Mishima Patriarch. The old man huffed and folded his arms back over his chest once more.

“You think I should show her mercy Jin?” The Mishima Elder asked his grandson in an amused tone, which sent shivers down the siblings spines.

“Yes, yes I do grandfather. Kazue is a hard worker and has a lot on her shoulders. She works hard for the Zaibatsu,” Jin replied, still averting his eyes from his grandfather after rising from his bow.

Kazue could feel her heart sinking in her chest after every little moment that silence remained in the air. The young woman swore she could feel the cogs turning in Heihachi's head - she could hear them spinning and it made her feel sick. The elder Mishima finally let out a loud laugh that was drenched in animosity and cruelty.

“You think I should show a traitor mercy! How naive the young cub is! Do you know what your sister has been doing Jin?”

The siblings remained silent as to not agitate their grandfather further. The brother and sister could tell just by the tone of his voice that any little thing would set him off.

“So you don’t know, do you? I’ll tell you.” Heihachi announced as he slowly walked towards Kazue. He stood before her menacingly while the young woman kept her head down.

“Your sister has been seeing someone she shouldn't. Sleeping with the enemy. That Korean street trash thug you fought yesterday Jin, your sister has been in bed with him,” The Mishima Elder towered over the older Kazama.

Kazue dared not speak a word - instead clenching her hands into fists while fighting back tears and keeping her head down. She was worried not for her sake, but for Jin’s and for Hwoarang’s as well – even as the Mishima Elder blatantly lied about her friendship with The Blood Talon. The words he shouted were slanderous and untrue but she knew what he was trying to do.

Jin sat in silence, like his sister. The younger brother understood what Heihachi was planning, what he was trying to do, and immediately knew the words he spoke weren't true. He knew Kazue and the red-haired rogue were friends - even if she seemed to have been more infatuated with him than she wanted to admit. The younger Kazama also didn’t want to believe that their grandfather would try to tear them apart; but he knew that was his motive for bringing the two of them here - to punish one of them, to turn one against the other.

“Grandfather please! I beg of you,” Jin pleaded quietly.

Heihachi heard the young cub’s whimper - and it made him sneer, both with anger and disgust. The elder Mishima would not stand for such traitorous and pathetic behavior, no not from either of his grandchildren. The patriarch would have none of it.

“You disgust me Kazama Jin… to show such weakness. And your sister, opening her legs like some common whore to such a deplorable plebe,” The elder’s voice was a low rumble like one you'd hear right before a massive earthquake.

The younger brother’s fists were tightly clenched and shaking in anger. He hated the words that the old man spoke referring to his sister. Kazue was no such thing. How could a grandfather even utter those words about his granddaughter?!

“My sister is not a whore! How can you say such a thing!”

 Jin shouted feeling the angry heat rise to his head.

The outburst caused a smug smile to grace the wrinkled features of the Mishima Elder. He began to pace slowly once more, while a chuckle rumbled through his throat. His eyes brightened with the intent of malice and violence.

The old man slinked his way over to stand in front of the older sister. “You asked me to show her mercy but now with you speaking out of turn….” Heihachi raised his hand while glaring at his grandson.

The younger brother winced, turning his head away from the scene, knowing what his grandfather was going to do - and he was to blame for it.

“DON'T YOU LOOK AWAY! I want you to watch what I’m about to do to this whore you hold so dear!” The Mishima Patriarch roared, swiftly backhanding Kazue across the face.

The force of the hit was so tremendous that it knocked the poor young woman halfway across the dojo floor. Kazue's head spun in a daze. All she could do was whimper in shock while trying to pick herself off the ground.

Heihachi began to stalk the young woman like a lion stalking its prey. After each step followed a devious chuckle, the old man enjoying watching Kazue writhe in pain, all while Jin sat back in shock – his body betraying him, keeping him from making any attempt to stop him.

“You honestly thought I didn’t know about your rendezvous with that Korean trash? You thought that I didn’t send someone to follow you?!” The Elder shouted, his voice booming and bouncing off the walls of the dojo.

Kazue slowly began to pull herself across the floor. She had to get to her feet quickly before her grandfather decided to kick or worse, stomp her.

Heihachi stood watching the young woman pull herself to a desperate crawl. His smile was one of joyful cruelty and amusement. He liked watching her suffer because she was weak and pathetic - Heihachi hated the weak and pathetic.

“I knew about him the day you met him. I kept track of all the times you saw him and the places you went with him,” Heihachi continued on his monologue.

Kazue managed to get to her knees after the haze finally cleared - her head throbbing, making it hard for her to keep her vision in focus. Even though she couldn't particularly see and keep her eyes trained on her grandfather, she could still feel his aura and presence. She paid close attention to the Elder's footfalls which clued her in to his whereabouts, making sure to keep herself on guard as he approached her.

“I was the one who arranged for our little run in with him and his ruffians. I had someone follow him and find out his gang's exact location, just to make sure we ran into them,” The Mishima Patriarch carried on, inching closer to Kazue.

Jin sat listening to the scene unfold before him with varying conflicting emotions. He wasn't sure what he should do or even if he should even try to intervene. He loved his sister and she was the only one left he felt he had a strong connection to - she was his lifeline, but the younger brother also didn't want to cross their grandfather.

He looked to a small shrine set up in the dojo with a statue of a Buddha resting on it with desperate eyes, as if begging for it to give him some insight. Searching for its guidance, pleading with it to tell him what to do - to stop this from escalating any further.

The younger sibling continued to stare deep into the statue's golden eyes and like a strike of fatal lighting, Kazama Jin's mind was made up. The young man slowly began to rise to his feet as his grandfather drew ever closer to his older sister.

To the youngest Kazama, his movements all seemed to be in slow motion, but his resolve would not falter. He was going to stop his grandfather from doing further harm to his beloved sister. Jin watched as the Mishima Elder's hand rose once again to strike the downed young woman, who sat dazed on her knees - still trying to get to her feet.

His movements were swift and executed with precision as his eyes honed in on Heihachi's fist. The Patriarch's hand was coming in fast and hard toward its target, but before it made contact, the elder's wrist was held firmly in his grandson's hand.

“You will not land another strike against her Grandfather. As long as I am breathing... you will not hurt her.” Jin's voice was calm yet laced with deadly intent. The youngest Kazama had resolved that if he had to he would kill his grandfather to protect the only family he could depend on, he would.

The Mishima Elder's head slowly turned, catching a glimpse of Jin with his peripheral vision. He saw the intent in his grandson's eyes, which only served to make the patriarch smirk then let out a roaring fit of booming laughter. The old man quickly jerked his hand from Jin's grasp then turned to face the young man.

“I'm surprised. Quite pleasantly so in fact. The malice in your eyes is only that worthy of the Mishima name. But there is still one little thing that is preventing you from reaching your full potential Jin. That Kazama blood of yours!” Heihachi replied, staring the rebellious cub directly in his eyes as if daring the young man to act on the intent shown in those youthful brown orbs.

The anger that Jin felt boiled to the surface quickly. He saw the look his grandfather was giving him, and the young man knew that the elder was daring him to act. The younger Kazama glared right back at the patriarch with pitch black eyes hardened with hate and despair. Jin was tired of Heihachi's constant insults directed at his mother or at his sister - and at half of the blood that flowed in his veins. The young man could feel the bile and disgust slowly rising with burning acid in the back of his throat.

“If you keep insulting my name and the blood that runs through to my core, I will make you regret ever taking me under your wing Grandfather. I will no longer tolerate you speaking ill of my sister and of my mother… or your insults of the Kazama name.” Jin stood face to face with his paternal grandfather on equal level - eye to eye.

The Elder's smirk turned into a full-blown grin as his own grandson stood challenging him. Heihachi reveled in the fact that the latent Mishima traits were now starting to show in the young cub, even though the old man frowned upon the reason why.

“You think you can stand up to me? You dare to challenge me boy?” The Patriarch asked in a condescending tone, still antagonizing the young Kazama into the intent he still had glinting in his eyes.

Kazue's sight finally began to focus while she listened to her brother and grandfather making slight threats and subtle challenges to each other. She took the moment to gather herself and stand on her feet. The older Kazama could feel warm blood slowly trickling down her chin from a split lip. She was still feeling a bit dizzy from the force of Heihachi's strike but managed to make her way over to a wall to brace herself. She gazed at the two men stood rather tensed while glaring at the other.

Fear and worry came rushing up from the young woman's stomach threatening to make her sick at the sight of her little brother challenging their grandfather. If the old man could backhand her with such force she couldn't bear the thought of what the Mishima elder could do in a full on hand to hand fight. The strength Heihachi possessed could kill from the force of his strikes – his fists were that precise, powerful, and extremely deadly.

“I asked you a question boy… you had better answer me,” The Patriarch pressed with eyes hardened and ready for the moment the young man decided to strike him.

Heihachi's lips pursed in a tight line while his jaw clenched, wanting Jin to make his move. One wouldn't think a man of his age or caliber would be itching so badly for a fight, yet he was. The Elder had decided a long time ago that he needed a reason to cast aside his granddaughter, and luckily for him, she had given him all the reason he needed. Now all he had to do was release the anger at her actions on either her or Jin or even both.

“I don't approve of you striking a woman. I don't approve of you berating her like she is nothing. SHE IS NOT WORTHLESS! SHE IS NOT EXPENDABLE! She is my sister, my family, my blood! I WILL fight for her life and her honor, and I'll be damned if you ever hit her again!” Jin roared in anger, his rage finally coming to the surface at Heihachi actions.

The young man's fist raised and was aimed directly for the old man's head with force. Heihachi's tense jaw loosened up for a brief moment to have a satisfied smile grace his wrinkled face as he moved swiftly to dodge Jin's incoming attack. Just like his grandson moments ago, the Patriarch's fingers tightly gripped the young man's wrist and then twisted his arm around his back in a very awkward position.

The Mishima Elder laughed cruelly while tightening his hold on Jin's limb painfully. Heihachi was aiming to dislocate his grandson's shoulder to prevent him from lashing out again while he dealt with Kazue. He quickly glanced to see where the older sister had gone, and was quite pleased to see she wasn't very far. The old man glared at her as he yanked at Jin's arm causing sickening snap to reverberate through the open empty walls of the dojo, which was promptly followed by an agonized yelp of pain.

“See what your actions have caused Kazue? See what your whoring around has done to your dear little brother who tried to defend your deplorable actions? You've dishonored this family and the Mishima name.” Heihachi announced with mocking sympathy.

The Patriarch placed a firm grip on Jin's newly dislocated shoulder, which caused another shout of pain from the young cub. Heihachi forced the younger brother to stand straight while the elder glared hatefully into his grandson's eyes.

“See what defending a whore gets you Jin? A whore is a whore… no matter what relation she is to you. I know I've met a few in my day. One even bore me a son but do you think I would lay claim to him after the failures both my legitimate and adoptive sons have been? Imagine what failure my bastard would become,” Heihachi snidely replied, tightening his grip on Jin's shoulder, causing the younger Kazama to wince.

“I don't know what he looks like, and nor do I care what his name is. I don't even remember his mother's name,” The Mishima Patriarch continued on, still grasping the younger Kazama's injured appendage, inflicting as much agony as possible.

“A woman who lets a man lay claim to her body before marriage is nothing more than a whore. A woman who lets a man lay claim to her body and bares his child before marriage is nothing more than a whore. She's even more so if she lets the same man impregnate her twice. Just like your mother, isn't that right?” The Elder's smirk turned into a cruel and evil smile as he dared the young cub to challenge him once again. Twisting the invisible knife in both siblings’ hearts, he released his hold on the youth – stepping back awaiting his response.

Jin was enraged by his grandfather's words, and the heat of his anger shone brilliantly in his eyes, turning them into a deep abysmal glassy black. It didn't take much thought before the younger Kazama was charging right for Heihachi.

“JIN NO!!!” Kazue shouted from across the dojo, but it was useless. When the words left her mouth Jin was already trying to attack their grandfather. The old man cruelly smiled at her then sent a counter attack with a tightened, closed fist directly to the young man's head.

The force of the blow knocked Kazama Jin nearly unconscious causing him to collapse on the ground writhing in pain due to both his shoulder and the strike to his head. Heihachi stood towering like a giant pleased by how the situation was starting to play out. He hovered over Jin with arms folded across his chest smirking as the young man glared back at him from the floor. The younger Kazama fought to stay conscious as he struggled to keep his head up. Heihachi's chuckle became a boisterous laugh when the old man heard soft sobbing from the other side of the dojo.

“She weeps for you. How sweet. I wonder if she'll weep for that Korean too when I snap his neck like a twig under my foot?” The Mishima Elder said with a devilish grin, watching both Jin's hate rise in his hazy eyes and listening to Kazue's sobs.

“Kazue, Don't worry for me! I'll be fine! Please leave! Get out of here!” Jin begged his older sister. He hoped she would listen to his plea and run, but after the words left his lips, a painful memory from the past decided to come forth.

Kazue continued to cry and with each sob, her heart began to break, shattering like pieces of glass. She never wanted this to happen, but she felt her actions brought this upon Jin - they threatened to leave the dojo and haunt Hwoarang as well. The young woman began to think that this was exactly what she deserved for giving into her selfish desires for friendship and a life of her own outside the Zaibatsu – outside the Mishima's tyranny.

She wiped tears from her face, gazing upon her brother while Heihachi stood, surveying the scene before him like a callous dictator. The older sister saw the painful expression Jin wore and knew what was haunting him in that very moment.

“I will not leave you! I made a promise and I will not abandon you!” Kazue said tearfully as more sobs began to leave her body.

Heihachi roared with laughter, watching the siblings anguish. He found it to be disgusting and pathetic. The old man decided right then and there to eradicate all traces of weakness in Jin and dispose of Kazue.

“How touching.” The Patriarch mocked, raising his foot before beginning an onslaught of precise kicks to the younger Kazama's stomach and chest.

Kazue watched as Heihachi began to viciously assault her brother - each whimper, each pain-filled grunt echoed within her resonating directly to her soul. The shouts and groans were followed by cracks and snaps as Jin tried to shield himself.

“Stop it,” Kazue whispered weakly to herself while Heihachi continued to kick Jin, laughing like a madman who took immense pleasure in the pain he was inflicting.

The young woman was at her limit - no longer wanting to hear the old man's laughter or the painful screams from her brother. She lifted herself from her position on the wall and began running towards her paternal grandfather to attack him. As she came closer, fist aiming right for the old man temple, he sent a savage punch straight for her rib cage snapping a several on impact.

The force of the strike causing the older Kazama to shout as the pain shot through her body like lighting, the youth's body almost doubling over in response. Just as fast as the Elder Mishima's fist came crashing into her his hand jutted out gripping the young woman around her neck.

“You stupid woman. You've just did EXACTLY what I wanted you to do.” The old man began to tighten his grip on her neck while lifting her from the ground.

“Grandfather! No! Please!” Jin gasped breathlessly, clutching the fabric of Heihachi's frayed Gi but it was quickly shook off. The youngest Kazama persisted in grabbing at the Patriarch's garment until the old man was fed up and decided to kick Jin clear across the dojo.

He stared up into the faded eyes of his granddaughter, watching the life drain from them while his grip kept restricting her ability to breathe.

Jin tried his best to get to his feet, finding it difficult to do so with his breathing labored and his chest area seemingly howling in pain due to broken ribs - but none of that seemed to matter as he began crawling to save his sister. Nothing in his life was more terrifying than seeing Heihachi slowly killing his sister, nothing more than the night the siblings’ mother was torn from them.

“Grandfather! Please!! STOP!!!!” Jin begged once more. He gazed at his sister as tears began to pour from his eyes and small sobs escaped his lips. He watched as her eyes slowly turned to gaze back, they were filled with love and regret - what was even more horrifying to the younger brother was how red, swollen, and blood shot they were.

“GRANDFATHER!!! STOP!!!!” He shouted yet again, but his pleas would go unheard. The anguish fell on deaf ears as a sickening crack resounding in the air and his dear sister's eyes went wide and her body fell limp. The old man dropped the young woman on the dojo's cold floor.

“NO!!!” Jin screamed in pure despair, his sobs filling the air with unrelenting sorrow.

Heihachi slowly began to approach Jin, pausing to stand before him while snapping his fingers to signal two Tekken Force suits to enter the dojo.

“Pick him up… and her as well. Then bring the limo around.” The Mishima Elder demanded of the two suits. The two men bowed sharply while signaling two more suits to grab Kazue's lifeless body then followed the Zaibatsu C.E.O outside, carrying Jin.

The young man didn't even fight the two lackeys – the two of them moving to drag him up off the wooden floor. He stayed limp like his sister with his head down, silently crying tears of loss and loneliness. His spirit was broken, the last of what was holding him together now gone, and just like before when was younger, he could do nothing to stop it. He was powerless to stop it.

Jin barely noticed being shoved into the limo or even registered the fact that the vehicle began moving – it's destination unknown. His eyes were wide with no emotion; the orbs were abysmally dark without even the slightest glint of anger - just blank.

The younger Kazama's gaze fell onto his beloved sister's _seemingly_ lifeless body. He stared at her, wishing for her to move, for her to breathe; to do anything to show she was alive. The young man watched as blood trickled from her chin onto the leather seat she rested upon.

There was dark purple bruise on one side of her face from Heihachi's attack, a deep red hand mark around her neck and the blood that was dripping from her chin began forming a small pool on the leather below. The young woman's eyes were still open wide conveying the fear and regret she felt prior, and they were empty in a different way than Jin's. Reaching for her, Kazama Jin gently used his fingertips to glide over her now marred visage to close her eyes.

The expression on her face just before the sickening snap would be one Jin would never forget as long as he lived and breathed on this earth. In his mind, the younger brother begged and pleaded for his sister's forgiveness him. He hoped she wouldn’t hate him. In his head, Jin told Kazue how much he appreciated and loved her although now it left him feeling alone. He had failed her. How disappointed would their mother be in her son knowing he had let his sister die?

Kazama Jin kept his eyes on his sister, but something kept him from finding peace - Heihachi's chuckling mercilessly tore him from the serenity he sought.

The young man had noticed the limo coming to a stop in a seedy part of Seoul. There were run down buildings and homeless beggars on the streets holding signs asking for money or food. There were ladies of the night walking up to cars making propositions for illicit activities as well as strutting up and down the pavement in tight fitting short dresses and skirts.

Drunkards stumbled across the road, yelling profanities and vomiting in trash cans, even directly in front of them or in alley ways. It reminded him of the night prior walking down the seedy path to fight the street gang.

His gaze quickly snapped to his grandfather who was pulling Kazue's body from the leather seat beside him. The Patriarch smirked cruelly at his grandson before motioning for one of his goons to open the limo door.

“Say goodbye Jin.” Heihachi croaked as callously as he could dumping the young woman's body out onto the cold, dirty pavement littered with trash and ungodly stains.

Jin's eyes widened in horror as his grandfather tapped on the glass to signal the driver to pull off, leaving Kazue's body behind. The young man could feel a horrendous scream rising from his gut to his throat as he watched his sister fading into the distance. Unable to contain it any longer Jin released it. His hand pressed against the limo's glass windshield screaming in silent despair, his soundless voice echoing into a blackened, empty void of regret and pain.  
  
His dearest sister, his friend and his dependable protector – was gone.  


 


	16. BOTTOM OF DEATH VALLEY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter was also a tough one which was why I changed the rating from T to M (on FFN if you are reading on AO3 it's been M for a while) and that rating will stay from this point onward, you know cause point of no return. You can't return to this area for a while after you leave. Do you want to save progress? *big toothy grin*
> 
> Anyway on with the usual spiel, chapter title is from a song by DIR EN GREY which I thought it was quite fitting and was the main prompt. You'll notice when you start reading I've gone into a point of view switch.
> 
> For the most part this story has been in third but I felt that this chapter needed to be in first person, I wanted people to read this as if Kazue herself is telling it as it is happening. Technically you, yes you are in her head! There will be more chapters like this (I can't say who's head we'll be diving into next cause spoilers) but for the most part will switch back to third.
> 
> As always thanks to those who are reading and who review/leave comments/kudos, means a lot and gives me that writer's high! Big thanks and hugs!
> 
> I'm on deviantArt (I try my best to post status updates there of my progress maybe even previews in journals) and Archive of Our Own/Fanfiction.Net, I also have a twitter now that I will try my best to remember to post a link to updates once they go up. So if you are on there or the other sites feel free to follow/watch me if you want. Which ever one is your jam! ^_^
> 
> FFNet - TsukiyoSpelldust  
> DA - TsukiyoSpelldust  
> AO3 – Tsukiyo_Spelldust  
> Twitter - @xstarlighthalo

  
  


Everything in my body ached and the last thing I remembered was being in the dojo with my brother and our grandfather. As I came to, I found myself laying on hard dirty pavement in a shifty area of Seoul. People on the street passed me by never giving me a second glance. They must've thought I was a hooker who disobeyed her pimp or a drunken idiot who'd had one too many, stumbled down the street then passed out.

Whatever the passersby thought they kept to their selves and went about their business. I amused myself with the thought that if this had happened in Japan people would stop and help - yet I know the situation would be the same there as it is here. I guess it really comes down to the area, and most likely the people here might figure it best to keep their noses clean and far removed from trouble.

Either way they still passed by, giving me awkward side glances then quickening their pace to avoid me all together. Gathering my wits, I slowly began to lift myself off the filthy ground finding it rather hard almost right away as the pain wracked through my entire body.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Mishima Heihachi left me here to die on the street like the garbage that littered the sidewalks - that was all I was to him. Although the old man forgot one very important detail - I am a Mishima, I'm strong and I have the will to survive. I'm as much of a Mishima as I am a Kazama, even though I am weakened I will not give in, I will live.

I slowly dragged myself to stand on my feet as I heard and felt everything in my body snap and crack, sending a horrendous throbbing, an ungodly aching cascading over me entirely. I could feel fresh warm blood sluggishly dripping down my neck. Its point of origin? I have no idea where, but as I ran my fingers over it - I took note of the color - a striking ruby red.

As I stared at my hand flashes of memory slowly came back. I remembered I was being punished – myself and Jin. The old man had it in mind to set me straight after losing a fight. A fight with stakes attached, the Zaibatsu's money, Heihachi's hard-earned money.

The fight had been against a gang of Korean ruffians and the elder Mishima wasn't about to lose his money to Korean street trash as he had said many times before. Nevertheless, it wasn't just the fight he punished me for, no he punished me for getting too involved with the ruffians ringleader The Blood Talon - Hwoarang.

Somehow the old man found out about my relationship with the red haired Korean and decided to arrange a crossing of paths with the fiery youth and his team. Heihachi forced me to fight Hwoarang and I lost.

He also had Jin fight him, which resulted in a draw. I know that Jin's match results were deemed far more favorable than mine were, although that didn't stop him from dealing with us both. I guess he got his reason to rid himself of me after all, and I fell into the trap.

I am now disowned, disgraced and a stain on the Mishima name - I'm alone with nowhere to go. As I stood in the street my thoughts began to swirl with negativity, my mind racing like mad, rippling at such a fast pace it confused me; even through all that, the one thing that stayed and kept repeating was I had no one to turn to.

My heart, alongside my mind, kept telling me that Heihachi turned my beloved little brother against me – my worst glared into the deepest part of my heart. I tried forcing my brain to summon memories, tried my hardest to recall everything, yet my mind was nothing but fog and smoke.

No memories to be seen or recall - even though my emotions and subconscious were telling me something happened in the dojo before I blacked out. Was Jin hurt too? Did he attack Jin as viciously as he did me?

I feel like something happened prior to what Heihachi had done to me but I can't remember. The only that that kept nagging at me was the feeling and thought of being alone, it pulled at me making me feel utterly hopeless. Reminding me I now have no one. No one but-

“Hhwoaa...”

I tried to speak but all that came out was air, followed by a raspy cough with the brightest shade of red blood I had ever seen. I could feel panic rising from the depths of my stomach, I knew I was pretty heavily injured, although I didn't think it was as bad.

Maybe I was denying it, but deep down I knew my clock was ticking - the Mishima will to survive as panic rose higher in tandem. I had to calm myself, gather my thoughts to try to find the gang's hideout and get there quick. I remembered during one of our conversations over text that he said he lived in a rundown apartment building.

I swiftly glanced around to see if there were any landmarks or street signs that might jog my memory. I know he had mentioned the street name in the text, but the name itself I could not recall.

Luckily, Heihachi was foolish enough to dump my body in a place that wasn't too far from where our run in with the street gang happened - or rather the old man purposely left me here so the Blood Talon could find me dead. I believe it was the latter more than the former.

Mishima Heihachi never did anything without a calculated reason or purpose - everything he did was like playing an expert game of chess. He's a scheming old bastard who always seems to have something if not everything up his sleeve all at once.

I had to stop myself from thinking about him any further. The mere idea of the man began to cause extreme amounts of stress and anger. If I kept the train of thought I was going on I would have found myself so furious that it probably would kill me in my current state.

I couldn't afford the luxury of such a thing when I know my life was hanging in the balance the longer I stood here – so, I sluggishly began making my way to find Hwoarang's place of residence.

Every step I took brought a shooting pain making each footfall agonizingly heavy. My breathing was labored and coarse. I came to the conclusion that several of my ribs were broken and a possible damaged windpipe being the reason I couldn't speak at the moment.

Heihachi must've grabbed me by the throat - maybe even slammed me to the ground or punched me: I couldn't remember. Whatever the Mishima Elder did, I couldn't think about it much longer. I had to keep moving.

I must've been an awful sight for people to see as I dragged myself along and staggered through the street. Whatever went through their minds mattered not to me, as long as I made it to my destination - to the only ally I have left.

By this time, I had abandoned the idea of trying to recall street names and was aimlessly searching, hoping to stumble across a building that looked tattered and old.

Turning a corner, nearly losing my balance and almost crashing to the ground below, my heavy steps feeling like they took forever, relief began to wash over my aching body like cool water. What I assumed was the old run-down apartment building Hwoarang mentioned stood looming before me.

I remembered him affectionately calling it “The Den” and I silently scoffed to myself. Out of all the possible things I could recall, something random as a fond nickname a man gave to his home still burned in my brain. I scanned the outside as I made my approach - although I didn't see any people loitering outside.

A tiny bit of worry began to bubble up alongside a tinge of rising fear - followed by the thought that this place might not be the one I'm searching for. I had to stop myself from falling into the pit of hopelessness and quickly rationalized that Hwoarang might be inside.

I made my way over as quickly as I could to the building, stumbling my way inside to a freshly painted reddish orange door I haphazardly guessed was to Hwoarang's flat and desperately began slamming my fist against the door repeatedly.

I could feel myself on the verge of collapse, possibly even death, but I kept my will strong - keeping it burning like a raging fire. Desperation was on high and I knew the Blood Talon would be iffy about answering his door with the way I was banging on it. I couldn't speak to let him know it was me.

~ _Please Hwoarang, answer._ ~ It was my mantra that I repeated to myself, the only thing that continued running round my mind like a religious chant - answer.

My eyes were becoming heavy, my vision losing focus and blurring. This was it – I was out of time, the realization causing tears to form and slowly trickle down my cheeks. I didn't want to die like this; bruised, bloody, broken spiritually and physically.

Yet here I was, body giving out about to collapse, my eyes slowly closing - my vision finally leaving me and enveloping me in ribbons of black. I felt myself falling almost in slow motion. Before I hit the ground, a draft of cool air gushed over me, something, someone, preventing me from smacking face first into the concrete. I could hear a string of curses in thick guttural Korean.

“What the fuck happened to you? Kazue!! Hey?! Don't you fucking die on me!! You hear me?! Kazue!! Holy shit please don't die.”

Those words I will never forget, the way they the last few left his lips in such a soft broken whisper, pleading to the universe; they struck my heart in such a profound way because they meant I would never be alone ever again.

He cared enough to not want me to die and that was all I needed. To know I have someone I could count on. It comforted me to feel his strong lithe arms holding me as if I were a precious porcelain doll. I knew I was on the verge of losing consciousness yet I took note of the way his skin felt and of his scent. I wanted to remember it in case these were my final moments.

I love him, I knew it the moment we began getting to know each other. I could feel myself falling for him with every act of kindness he showed me. I know it's silly that I felt that way after knowing him for a short while, but I can't deny that everything was building up to it – to feelings of love. Why?

Maybe that's how my mother felt about my father, a mysterious force pulling them together like destiny – maybe Hwoarang and I are the same? Maybe that's wishful thinking?

These feelings, maybe I'll keep them a secret for a while. If I make it I can tell him once I heal but if I don't it's best they go to the grave with me.

As I began to pass through the darkened glass, causing shards to shatter around me as my decent into the eternal abyss went deeper, I could feel the corners of my mouth curving into a tiny happy smile. I silently hoped he'd see it before my head finally fell heavily against his chest.

  



End file.
